Aria of the Sea
by Eponine Sparrow
Summary: Alice is back after a year with Ashwood, changing her for the worst. But when she leaves England for her brother's wedding, she never dreamed that she would see Jack again. As Will and Alice accompany Jack for the chest, Beckett and Elizabeth being trouble for Alice, how can she expect to forget her past and go back to piracy? And with Jones on Jack's tail, will she even survive?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Beckett

**Well hello again! Welcome to the 2nd installment of the Dead Men Tell No Tales series! I haven't been with you for almost a month, so I apologize. Truthfully, I had planned to start this weeks ago, but that apparently didn't happen as planned. First reason: School got really really busy. You know, Science, Geometry...memorizing and reciting the epilogue from A Midsummer's Night Dream in front of my Drama class. Then I had to write a short story in English. And well...my short story turned into a 6 page story. Second Reason: I'm in a play! Auditions were last week and practice starts tomorrow. I'm sorry, but that might occupy my time for a while. Third Reason: I've been practicing driving a lot lately, so well...that's pretty self explanatory. Okay, enough of my rambling! Without further ado, Chapter 1!**

I. Was. In. Hell. For the last five months, I have had to let Lord Cutler Beckett escort me to parties, galas, and garden parties. Anything that requires a social appearance from moi? He had to be there with me. Every time he looked at me, I could see the amused little smirk that played on his lips.

He knew he was torturing me, and he enjoyed it. He was tearing away my sanity, little by little. Every inch of me protested when he looked at me. It literally pained me not to kill him. This man had completely ruined my life. He had taken away my life, my chance with James, Aria. Not that I still wanted James. Did I? No, that was absurd. But then again, I hadn't expected him to pay me a little visit about three months ago:

Xx

_I was sitting on the little balcony that was adjoined to my bedchambers, reading a book. One of the few that Ophelia had sneaked in for me. It had been a nice evening and when I closed my eyes I could almost smell salt in the air. It was almost like I was... _

_No. I wasn't in the Caribbean any longer. I was just outside of London. I closed my eyes once more, as a single tear slid down my cheek. Oh how I wished to be back in the Caribbean! I couldn't take being Lord Beckett's "Lady escort and possible fiancee" which I apparently was according to the snotty women I had been eavesdropping on while at a ball last week._

_ I grimaced at the thought. Fiancee? No. That was a revolting thought. The very thought of it made me gag and want to throw up. I started humming to myself to get my mind off that hellish thought, but they I realized what I was humming. Aria's lullaby. I sighed. Was there no reprieve from this horrible life?! _

_Suddenly, a large stone hurtled toward me and I dove for the ground, gasping as my corset was 'supposed' to restrict the movement, yet didn't, so it smarted horribly. I got up slowly, brushing off my mint colored gown, and peered over the edge of my balcony. What? What was someone doing here, hiding in the foliage? I sighed. This would be my first 'escape attempt' since arriving here, and doing it in a corset would not exactly be what you would call fun, but...hey. I'm not exactly one to turn down an escape, even if it was just for a short while.  
_

_I carefully stepped over the ledge of my balcony, before moving so that I was sitting on the ledge. I then, slowly moved so that I was hanging off said balcony, then I swung myself onto a nearby landing on the roof. The way the roof was built was strange, but I was thankful for it now. I then, lowered myself off of the roof and jumped, tucking into a ball, despite my corset, so my landing wouldn't be very painful._

_I was wrong. It was painful, though mostly, that was the bloody damn corset's fault. I groaned before sitting up. There was a figure standing in the shadows. I stood, looking at the figure warily, "Well, come on, what do you want? I didn't just jump fifteen feet for nothing." Okay, I lied. I'm a pirate, so get over it. It was more like ten feet._

_The figure moved out of the shadows and I gasped. "James," I whispered. James Norrington looked at me sadly,_

_"Alice." I frowned, _

_"James, you look like hell, what's wrong with you?" James grimaced, _

_"Thanks Alice. There's the kind heart that I fell in love with." I looked down. Until now, this was they first time that James had actually told me that he loved me. James crept closer to me and stuck a finger gently under my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes, "I was joking Alice. I know that I look awful." _

_"What happened to you?" I whispered. _

_James laughed dryly, "Jack Sparrow did."_

_I frowned, "What?"_

_James looked at me sadly, "I know that when I last saw you, we weren't exactly on good terms." I looked down sadly, knowing her was correct. James continued, "I also know that you devised a plan to help Sparrow escape." I looked up at him suspiciously,_

_"Are you here to reprimand me? Or to arrest me?" _

_"Neither. I am simply here to tell you that I have resigned from my position as commodore and will not be returning to Port Royal." As he said this, he pulled off his freshly powdered wig to reveal his well-kept brown hair that was tied back was a black ribbon. I had always liked James' hair like that. I frowned sadly at him, _

_"Why are you resigning?" James sighed, _

_"I followed Sparrow through a hurricane-" _

_"What!?" I shrieked. "James! You could have been killed!" James looked down, humiliated, _

_"I might as well have been. I lost everything. My ship, my crew, my chance at Sparrow. What kind of commodore am I? No, Alice, I am useless." I forced him to look at me,_

_ "James, you are not useless." James looked away from me again and I sighed. "James?" _

_No reply._

_"James Norrington?"_

_No reply._

_I sighed, exasperated and leaned next to his face, kissing him lightly on the lips. We parted and he finally looked at me, "Do you still love me?" he asked, confused. _

_"I don't know, James, I just don't like seeing you so down." The truth was, I really had no clue what compelled me to kiss James. It confused me just as much as it confused him. James nodded in understanding,_

_ "I really just came to tell you goodbye." _

_"What?"_

_James smiled sadly, "Alice, I'm a disgrace. I have to disappear." I nodded sadly, understanding, _

_"I wish you luck James." James looked down at my gloved hands sadly, _

_"And you as well." With that, James Norrington disappeared back into the shadows. _

_I turned and started climbing back up to me balcony, so I could resume my reading._

Xx

I still never fully understood why he had come all the way to England, simply to bid me farewell. Then again, I still didn't know why I had kissed him either. A knock on the door caused me to rise from my chair. It was Ophelia. "Ah, dear Ophelia, how has your day treated you?" Ophelia nodded her hello,

"It was fine milady, but I have a feeling that you won't like what's coming." My small smiled dropped immediately,

"Ophelia, whatever do you mean?" Ophelia frowned and gestured to my closet. Uh oh.

Xx

I want a knife. Or a pistol. Or poison, poison would work well. But alas, I had none of these blessed items at the moment. At the moment, I was being introduced at a ball by a pompous old man wearing a ridiculous wig. As if we all didn't know that he was already bald!

"Lady Alice Elianore Ashwood, accompanied by Lord Cutler Beckett." Beckett snaked an arm around my waist. I grimaced but remembered what would happen if I didn't appear to be enjoying myself. I winced at the thought. I really did not want to be whipped tonight.

Beckett leaned in, "Alice," he whispered, "you look ravishing tonight." I frowned. I was wearing a crimson satin gown. My hair was curled and pulled back halfway was a scarlet ribbon that was tied in a delicate bow. This gown had been a gift from Beckett. I made a mental note to burn it when I returned home.

"You believe so? I find it rather unappealing," I stated briskly. I would not be friendly to Beckett and there was absolutely nothing that could ever make me change my mind. Beckett smiled, which unnerved me.

"Alice, you are a feisty young thing aren't you? But believe me dear, I will break you eventually. It won't take much. As I recall, the death of one child was enough to cause you to try to commit suicide."

I glared at him before my least favorite woman walked up to us. I had to quickly put on a 'happy' face. "Ah, Princess Victoria, how are you this evening?" Ugh. I hated her. She looked down at me disgusted,

"Fine, If you'll excuse me." Yeah you better run! Well, that's what I wanted to say. But I couldn't, I was at a ball. A damn, stupid, annoying, ball.

**UGH! Look at what Beckett's doing to poor Alice! Okay, I want some input. Should I continue with the flashback stuff? It's up to you guys, but I want to hear it from you. Okay, to be clear, Princess Victoria is not THE Princess Victoria who married Prince Albert. I just made her up because I need her for...plans. (Laughs evilly.) I hope you guys like chapter 1, and I promise, Alice will be out of England soon! Do you guys want a Will/Elizabeth before the wedding chapter? Seriously, I'd love to hear from you guys! **

**~~Upisdowngirl~~**


	2. Chapter 2: For Those In Peril On The Sea

Chapter 2: For Those In Peril On The Sea

**Well, I'm back! I normally won't update this often (sorry) but I felt compelled to update today! :) By the way, rum and sparrow shaped cookies for anyone who know where this chapter title came from :D **

"Alice, darling, why don't we go over and dance." Beckett grabbed my waist and led me over to the center of the room, away from Princess Victoria.

"Cutler, I do not particularly feel like dancing at the moment." Beckett smirked,

"You'll change your mind."

"I really don't think-" I was cut off from my protests as he arranged one hand on my waist and the other grasping my hand. I groaned inwardly. Yes, I was definitely burning this dress later tonight.

Xx

I sighed. Thank God that horrid ball was over! I sat on the edge of my bed and kicked off my heels. "Oi!" A female voice protested. I looked up to see that Ophelia had entered my room and had nearly been hit by a flying shoe, which she now held in her hand. I put a hand to my mouth,

"Ophelia! I'm so incredibly sorry!" Ophelia just set the shoes that she had barely caught down,

"It's quite alright Miss," she said, flustered, "Lord Ashwood wants to see you." I nodded and dashed for the door,

"Thank you Ophelia!"

I ran down the hallway, slipping once and banging into the banister by the staircase. I cursed and walked down it carefully before setting off again. The moment I reached his office, he stood quickly, startled, "Alice! I-" I sat at a chair in front of his desk. Lord Ashwood looked at me and frowned, "Alice, where...where are your shoes?" I looked down at my stockinged feet. Whoops! I left them in my room. I looked up at Lord Ashwood carefully, "I...um...they just disappeared?"

Lord Ashwood sighed, "Alice, it isn't proper." I nodded once,

"Ophelia said that you required my presence?" Lord Ashwood nodded,

"Um, yes today is April 14th, is it not?" I nodded, confused,

"Yes, it is."

"Your brother...William Turner's wedding to the Governor of Port Royal's daughter is May 14th, is it not?"

"Yes, it is," I repeated. Where was he going with this? I wouldn't get to go, not after Beckett came to be my personal escort to everything.

"You were wanting to go, weren't you?" I nodded sadly,

"I was. I miss my brother." Lord Ashwood looked at me with something that I had never seen before. Compassion.

"You can go." I was taken back,

"What?"

"You can go. I've arranged a passage for you tomorrow." I grinned,

"Thank you Father!" He flashed a small smile,

"Yes yes, you're welcome."

"You'll want to pack immediately," a voice from the door advised.

I turned, "Lord Beckett, this is not your concern." He grinned,

"But I do believe that it is."

"How so?" I narrowed my eyes. Lord Ashwood laughed shortly,

"Lord Beckett is accompanying you to Port Royal. He has some business to attend to and he is taking you there on the _Endeavor_." I paled,

"No," I whispered. Beckett came to stand beside me. He leaned next to me and whispered so that Lord Ashwood could not hear,

"This time, you won't be staying in the brig though, Alice." He smirked at me. I paled further. No. This couldn't be happening! It couldn't! I had lost Aria on that ship! I could not go back there! "No," I stated, as angrily as I could muster. Lord Ashwood looked angry,

"Yes you will."

"No, I will not!" Lord Ashwood stood and grabbed my forearm harshly. I winced, knowing that it would bruise.

"Excuse us, Cutler. I need to have a moment with my daughter." Lord Ashwood dragged me out of the room. As he headed for the door, my eyes widened and I struggled,

"No! No! Please! You can't-"

"I can!" He flung open the door. Two women from the kitchen, the same two women that I had met when I had first arrived years ago, peeked out. (I really did need to learn their names.) Their eyes filled with sadness, knowing fully well what was about to happen. Lord Ashwood dragged me to the shed.

Xx

"Alice!" I looked up at him from where he'd shoved me to the ground,

"What?" I asked. Lord Ashwood slapped me,

"Do not use that tone while speaking to your father!"

"You're not my father!" I shrieked angrily. "You never were and never will be!" Lord Ashwood grabbed my arm and shoved my against the wooden pole, chaining my hands to it. "So you're going to treat me like a slave?" I asked angrily. Lord Ashwood ignored my comment,

"No, I'm not your father and I'm so bloody damn glad that I'm not! I bet your father left because he never loved you! I mean, who would? You are a spoiled, little whore! I've given you everything! And this is how you repay me? I envy your father, because he got rid of you and I can't!" Lord Ashwood grabbed the whip and ripped the back off my dress.

Somewhere, unconsciously, I noted that I wouldn't have to burn the dress anymore. He swung the whip. I gasped in pain. Another strike. I whimpered. A third. I shrieked in pain. Another strike. I let out a strangled cry. By the 7th strike, I was wailing in agony. By the 10th and final strike I'd lost complete consciousness.

I woke when I felt the chains open and I fell to the ground. Lord Ashwood grabbed my arm again and dragged me to the manor, throwing me to the floor of the parlor. "Take care of this," he snapped at the two kitchen slaves that I'd seen earlier. "Ah, Cutler," I heard Lord Ashwood continue, once again in his office," it was a misunderstanding! Alice will be joining you on the _Endeavor_ tomorrow, of course!" I let out a cry of agony, not only from the pain, but from the thought of sailing with that man.

Xx

"Miss, don' move." I groaned, as I gained full consciousness, realizing that I was lying on my stomach.

"What happened?" A warm hand rested on my cheek,

"Master beat you up real good. You got scars from prev'ous beatin's two." I sighed. Now I remembered. A warm cloth was set on my back and I gasped. A pair of hands kept me firmly in place as the other woman finished cleansing my back. When it was finished, she wrapped it delicately and helped me into a night dress.

I struggled to lie back on my bed, wincing in pain. I looked up at the two women, "Thank you." They nodded. "Waht are your names?" "Minnie," once smiled. "Abigail," the other told me. I smiled, not really knowing what to say; suddenly, something came to be. I hesitated, but decided that I should say it,

"Anamaria is free." The two women looked at me,

"Really?" I nodded,

"I was a pirate, I found her in Tortuga. She's a strong woman. Turned really pretty too." They two women smiled,

"I'm glad the girl is finally free." I nodded. Abigail looked at me sadly,

"But you ain't free." I shook my head,

"No, I'm not." Minnie turned to me,

"We packed your things for the voyage tomorrow." I nodded in gratitude. Abigail frowned, "We real sorry that you goin' through hell Miss Alice." I shook my head,

"Your life isn't exactly a picnic either." The two women looked at me sadly, "If I can ever do anything, I will set you, all of you free." Abigail smiled,

"That's real kind." I drifted off into a slumber full of nightmares about Beckett and Aria.

Xx

I woke up to a bright morning. I sat up before collapsing back onto the bed, groaning in pain. The previous night's event caught up to me. Ophelia walked into my room, "Good morning Miss," she tried, as cheerfully as she could muster. I sighed and began to sit up again, only to fall back in pain. Ophelia rushed over to me, "Let me help you Miss." She helped me get out of bed, and soon I was standing before her as she pulled out a pale yellow satin gown with white ruffles on the sleeves and a white satin rose on the center of the bodice.

"Now Miss, let's just-" Ophelia gasped at my back. "My lord! I knew he whipped you, but this?" She looked at me face and blushed, "Sorry Miss, I didn't mean-"

"Ophelia, it's fine." She nodded,

"Lord Ashwood has no heart! He never lets you fully heal before you get whipped again, does he?" Before I could reply, she continued, "I mean, you already have scars, but you still weren't healed from last time yet! He reopened those wounds, as well as made more! And he's done that dozens of times! Alice, this isn't going to heal fully for a long time! At least a couple months!" I sighed,

"I know Ophelia." Ophelia was such a chatter box, but that was one of the things I liked about her. One could never be lonely when she was around.

"Well," she huffed, "I am _not _going to put on a corset today!" I smiled at her,

"Thank you Ophelia." She nodded, before setting to work.

Xx

I looked in the mirror. Ophelia had simply curled my hair, then pulled all of my it back with a yellow ribbon. I did look pretty, but not myself. I never did when wearing these gowns. My feet already ached from the pinchy heels that I wore.

Ophelia silently handed me a pair of white satin gloves. I nodded silently and put them on. Ophelia frowned, "I still don't know why Lord Ashwood always makes you wear those." I smiled and hugged Ophelia, ignoring her comment. I wore them because Beckett gave me a pirate 'P', but she didn't know that, "Thank you for everything, Ophelia." She smiled sadly,

"Best of luck to you, Alice." I smiled back and walked downstairs to the parlor, where Lords Ashwood and Beckett were waiting. Beckett smirked,

"Hello Lady Ashwood." I glared at him and turned toward my 'father'.

"Goodbye Alice." I nodded once and strode out of the manor, and down the cobblestone path, where a carriage waited. I helped myself in, which is, in fact, quite a struggle while wearing heeled shoes and a floor-length gown. A few moments later, Beckett jumped up into the carriage,

"You know, a man is supposed to help a lady into a carriage." I glared at him, then the white gloves that I wore,

"I am not a lady. I'm a pirate." Beckett grabbed my left hand and held it to his cheek,

"And I so regret marking you as such."

"I'm sure you are."

"I really am," he continued as he kissed my hand. I yanked it away and set it in my lap. Beckett smirked at me, "You will have to get used to it."

"I will not," I replied, coldly. The rest of the carriage ride was carried out in silence.

Xx

I glared up at the stupid ship before me. The _Endeavor_. This cursed ship on which everything was taken away from me.

"She is a beautiful ship," Beckett stated from behind me. I shrugged,

"Personally, I prefer the _Black Pearl_." And with that, I haughtily walked up the to the ship, climbed aboard and looked out at the sea from the stern.

Xx

It was dark. Very dark. We had been at sea for four weeks and I had refused to come out of my room during that time. We would arrive in Port Royal in three days, thankfully. I breathed in the salty air of the Caribbean. I was really back! As I peered out at the horizon, I willed the _Black Pearl_ to come attack this damn ship and take me away. But, deep down, I knew that I would never see that ship again, or its captain.

My whole plan was ruined! I had planned at first, to never come back from my visit with Will. I would again start pirating. But Beckett's presence here ruined it! Now I could never be free again. I sighed and began singing softly to myself:

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, we loot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"

A hand on my shoulder stopped my singing, "You shouldn't sing that." I glared at Beckett,

"Then hang me." Beckett shook his head, which angered me. Why couldn't he simply leave me be?! I turned back to the sea, deciding to ignore him, "We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs-" A hand covered my mouth and I sighed,

"Don't sing that." Beckett removed his hand.

"What do you even want with me?" I asked, exasperated. Beckett smiled,

"You."

"Well, I hate you, despise you. I wish you a thousand painful deaths." Beckett frowned,

"You don't mean that, Alice." I laughed, images of me and Jack running him through with a cutlass filled my head. I smiled devilishly,

"I do mean it. I absolutely loathe you. Go to hell." Beckett pinned me against the rail of the ship, his face inches from mine,

"You have a very very unreasonable temper," he whispered softly. I scoffed,

"Unreasonable?! You murdered my-" I was cut off as his lips crushed against mine. I was so surprised and terrified that at first, I remained frozen in place, but then I regained my anger, which had now grown into fury. I shoved him away from me harshly, "You horrid man!" Beckett smirked,

"You can't tell me that you didn't enjoy it."

"I can. I hated it! You abused me! You're worse than a pirate! Jack would never take advantage of me!" Beckett stood, angrily,

"Jack!? That traitorous damn pirate? How dare you say that I am like him!" I glared at him,

"I did not say that you were anything like him. If you were, you would be a good man!" I turned before remembering something. I looked back at Beckett, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Beckett looked confused,

"Scorned? I have not scorned you." I glared at him,

"You have. You do not care for me, you simply wish to possess me. I do not like that feeling!" I stomped off into my room, angrily, slamming and locking the door. I sank against the door, curling up and crying. How could he do that to me? Abuse me? I knew one thing: I was not coming out of this room until we were docked!

Xx

Knocking. Very loud knocking awoke me from my slumber. I sat up groggily, wincing at the pain in my back. "What is it?" I called.

"We've docked in Port Royal, Lady Ashwood," a voice I did not recognize called. I opened the door, expecting to see a woman, but instead, I saw a woman and Beckett.

"What the hell do you want?" I snapped. He smirked and shoved a package at me, before whispering to the woman. She smiled and walked in my room, locking the door behind her. I set the bloody box on my bed and opened it. My face fell slack. I turned back to the woman, who was looking at me like a cat would a mouse, "Lord Beckett requires you to wear this." I shook my head, but she pulled out some ropes from behind her back, "He insists. So wear it, you shall."

**Uh oh. Poor Alice! Well, I hope you can figure out where the title is from. There IS a clue somewhere in this chapter though! ;D Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**~~Upisdowngirl~~**


	3. Chapter 3: Will and Elizabeth

Chapter 3: Will and Elizabeth

**Hello dearies! I'm sorry that it has taken me two weeks and 5 days to update. I actually meant to update yesterday, but stuff came up that I hadn't expected. :P I hope this won't be too disappointing, but I thought that I need to do this chapter. This chapter will not have Alice in it. SO SORRY! But this chapter HAS to happen. And I'll tell you a secret (I guess It's not really one anymore...but whatever.) Alice won't be in the next chapter either! Sorry! But Jack WILL be in the next chapter, and we haven't seen him for a while! Thank you guys for the reviews, and if I get 5, I'll update tomorrow! It's up to you though! Well, without further rambling, which I will stop, I present to you: Chapter 3!**

**Will POV:**

I walked out of Mr. Brown's blacksmith shop, cursing myself under my breath. Today!? Why did I get sidetracked and forgetful today!? Elizabeth would not be happy. I turned right at the fork in the cobbled stone path, beginning to sprint. I ran through the streets of Port Royal, praying that Elizabeth wasn't panicking right now.

**Elizabeth POV:**

"Elizabeth, are you dressed?"

I stood from my place upon my bed, checking my reflection quickly in the mirror. I looked wonderful! My father had gotten me a lovely new pale blue gown for today, as today, was a _big _day.

I smiled, "Yes Father."

He entered the room smiling, "Elizabeth, you look lovely."

"Thank you Father."

"Are you prepared for today?"

"Yes Father."

"Are you ready to depart?"

I sighed, "Yes Father." Of _course _I was ready. This was my _wedding rehearsal_. I gently closed the door to my bedchamber behind me, before following my father down the staircase, through the parlor, and out the door. The footman helped me into the carriage, before jumping up to sit next to the driver, who flicked the reins. I grinned. Tomorrow I would be Mrs. Turner.

Xx

"Well, where is he!?" I yelled at no one in particular, scaring a few scattered ladies who were walking around the gardens. I was standing in the garden where my wedding reception would be held after the ceremony tomorrow. Will was two hours late. I sat down on a white chair and crossed my arms angrily, huffing, "He better not be thinking about _her_."

Xx

**Will POV:**

"Elizabeth, I'm so incredibly sorry, I never meant to-"

"You never do," she snapped, not looking at me.

"I just-"

"Lost track of time," she mocked me. I winced at the ice in her voice, "You _always _lose track of time Will, when you are thinking about _her_!"

I took her hand in both of mine, "Elizabeth, you can't be upset, it's nothing to be upset about," I soothed, hoping to relieve her of her anger.

She finally looked at me, "Will, it _is _something to be angry about! Why do you even care? You'll never see her again-"

"Yes I will," I cut her off.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"

I sighed, "I invited her to our wedding."

Elizabeth dropped my hands, "What!" she shrieked.

"Now I know that you're upset that I didn't tell you, but-"

"Because you didn't tell me? No! I'm upset because I don't want her at my wedding!" I frowned, at this. Alice was _my _sister. My little sister. I wanted to see her again. But I don't understand why Elizabeth doesn't like her so much. Alice had been a touchy subject between the two of us.

And I was hurt at Elizabeth's statement. _Her _wedding?

"Elizabeth, isn't it _our _wedding?"

She glared at me, "Will, I just don't understand why you don't want me to be happy."

My mouth opened in shock, "Elizabeth! Of course I want you happy! I just want to see my sister."

"Why?" she snapped.

"Because she's-" my throat tightened, and I swallowed to compose myself, "She's the only family I have left. I lost my father, my mother died when I was little; all I have is Alice."

"I lost my mother too," Elizabeth pointed out. I sighed, she just couldn't understand.

"Yes, but your mother died giving birth to you...so you never actually knew her," I said softly.

Elizabeth changed the subject, "Why do you even care about her? You left her! I thought that meant that you didn't care for her, and you shouldn't!"

I frowned at her, angry. How dare she suggest that I didn't care about Alice! "Elizabeth, I left to find my father. I love my sister!"

"So you don't love me," she put, simply.

I was confused with this, "What? No, I love you Elizabeth, I just-"

"You can't love me if you love a pirate."

"My father was a pirate!" I shouted, losing my temper.

Elizabeth stepped back, "I know. I just don't want you to care about _that _pirate."

"My sister?" I asked shortly. She nodded, confirming it. "Elizabeth, she is my little sister. I can't just not care for her anymore!"

"Why do you worry about her? She's living it up in a mansion in England! She's richer than I am! The adoptive daughter of a Lord? She's better off that way. Don't worry about her." I frowned at this. Was Elizabeth jealous of Alice?

I sighed, giving in, "I'm sorry Elizabeth, I should have told you that she was coming sooner."

She nodded, "You should have."

I bit my tongue so I wouldn't snap at her, "I love you."

She nodded, "Alice is leaving, right after the ceremony." I didn't agree, but maybe I could work on it.

"I love you," I tried again.

Elizabeth finally smiled, "I love you too, Will." She wrapped her arms around my neck and I kissed her gently. We broke apart, but our faces were just inches from each other, "Let's start the rehearsal," Elizabeth whispered.

"I smiled, "Of course." I offered her my arm and she took it, as I led her to the church.

Xx

It.

Was.

A.

Disaster.

I walked in the church with Elizabeth and the first thing that her father said was, "William, really, can't you look nicer? It's you and Elizabeth's dress rehearsal!"

I frowned, looking down at my simple brown trousers, pristine white shirt, and brown vest. What was wrong with them? They were my clothes; my normal clothes! Don't get me wrong, I was obviously planning on dressing quite elaborately for the wedding tomorrow morning, but this was just the rehearsal! What did it matter what I wore?

Apparently, it mattered a lot, because after Governor Swann asked me about my clothes, Elizabeth looked at me in horror, "Will! What are you wearing?"

"My...clothes?"

She tried to look less upset, but failed, "But..um, Will...couldn't you not wear...that?"

I smirked, deciding to be cheeky, like Alice, "Would you rather me wear nothing?"

At the completely horrified looks of Elizabeth, her father, and Reverend Adler, I blushed feverishly. Okay, I wasn't good at being cheeky. I know exactly what Alice what say. She roll her eyes and say,

_"Will, you are such an idiot! Everyone knows that you can't beat me at cheekiness!" _

Well, someone probably could, and if anyone could, it would be Captain Jack Sparrow. Of course I would never, ever actually say that. If I did, Alice would turn me into a eunuch. I shuddered at the thought.

"Um...right," I mumbled, hoping that they would just continue the rehearsal.

Xx

And of course it was a disaster. Governor Swann kept mumbling from behind Elizabeth and I, "Why couldn't it have been James Norrington?" Each time he said it, I winced. Why couldn't the Governor just get over it!? But of course he couldn't.

Then, I accidentally set the Reverend on fire. It wasn't really as bad as it sounds...well...except to the Reverend. I'd been holding a candle, and when Elizabeth accidentally elbowed my arm, I sort of accidentally threw-dropped it, and it set Reverend Adler's robes aflame. I rushed to get water from a glass that the Reverend had had sitting nearby. But that turned out to be wine. Which, of course, did not squelch the flames. I panicked and ran outside, grabbing a bucket of water from a nearby baker, who wasn't very happy about it, rushed inside the church, and threw it at the Reverend, extinguishing the flames, as well as soaking him. I have never ever heard a religious man curse. But I did today. And Reverend Adler cursed a lot.

At that point, I bid Elizabeth goodbye, told her that everything would work out tomorrow. Then I left, leaving behind a worried Elizabeth and an angry Governor.

Xx

I walked into the blacksmith shop, glancing warily at the already passed out Mr. Brown. I sat on a stool and sighed. Why can't I just get everything right? Why couldn't I just go through the rehearsal...without setting anyone aflame? And why couldn't Elizabeth and I not fight?

We had that argument hundreds of times in the past year. It was always about Alice. Why did Elizabeth have such a big problem with her? She was my sister! I couldn't forget the first time that she had brought it up:

_I was sitting with Elizabeth in the garden outside her mansion, staring off into space, thinking about Alice._

_ Elizabeth huffed, "Will!"_

_ My head snapped toward her, "What?"_

_ She glared at me, "Why do you always think about Alice?!"_

_ I shrugged, "She's my sister." _

_"You're supposed to think about me!"_

I had so many conversations like that. Too many to count.

Xx

Truthfully, I wasn't worried about Alice. She was better off in England. She was being taken care of. I just felt guilty that we had never bonded, gotten as close as we used to be, and I feared now that we never would be.

Xx

I looked on the table where a newly finished sword lay. I smiled at it. That had been a _very _special project. I'd been making the cutlass for Alice. It was simple, with a black and silver handle. But on the end of the handle, I had encrusted one single black pearl, surrounded by a ring of small white seed pearls. On the side of the handle, in an elegant script, I had carved her initials: A. E. T.

It was so beautiful, and I knew that she would love it. I'd had to keep hiding it because I was secretly giving Elizabeth sword-fighting lessons. After I'd learned that she didn't like Alice, I figured that I shouldn't let her know that I was making a special cutlass for Alice, and Elizabeth had to use an old one.

Xx

I sighed, "I hope you get to use it one day Alice," I fingered the flat side of the blade of her cutlass before setting it down. I smiled worriedly, "Well, I'm getting married tomorrow."

**Well, there you go! So dear William and Lizzie haven't been getting along lately. Uh oh! And wow. Elizabeth is being a, for lack of better words (sorry) a bitch. Why does she hate Alice so much? Is there a reason, or is she just SUPER jealous? I was wondering what you all think about a chapter about James, and what's he's turned into in the past year? I'm only going to do it if you want me to, so I wanna hear from you guys! Remember, if I get at least 5 reviews, I'll update tomorrow! **

**~~Upisdowngirl~~**


	4. Chapter 4: My Daughter

Chapter 4: My Daughter

**Well, hello! I'd like to thank XantheXV, esinger, Lovethisstory, and Guest for their lovely reviews! I will give you a Norrington chapter. You'll just have to wait until I find the opportune moment to put it in. **

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum," Gibbs sang, walking to the rail of the ship, drunkenly, a bottle half full of rum in his hand, "Drink and the devil had done for the rest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" Gibbs chuckled darkly, gulping rum down his throat.

"Oi!"

Gibbs turned, startled at the voice. Anamaria walked up to Gibbs, snatching the bottle away, "You know what Captain Sparrow said. No more rum! We have to make port first and get more."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "Ana, I just wanted to have a little bit o' fun. Me and the crew were going to have a drinking competition..." Gibbs stopped himself at the fire in Ana's eyes.

"Why wasn't I invited?"

Gibbs started sweating nervously, "Well, I...uh, well, you know..." Gibbs sprinted below deck, leaving behind the bottle of rum.

Ana chuckled, "I would have let you have a drinking competition Gibbs, but you didn't invite me." She laughed again, sipping the rum that Gibbs had left behind. Ana looked out at the jail a little ways away from where the _Pearl _was anchored.

"Jack you better know damn well what you're doing. I'm not going to lose another friend." Ana looked down, sadness creeping through her. _Oh Alice, why are we always separated? I need my best friend. _Of course if any of the crew knew that, they'd tease her, and in return, she'd make their lives a living hell. It was just the way her relationship was with the crew. Ana walked back to her cabin.

XxXx

A coffin was thrown into the sea. One after another, their occupants not receiving a care in the world. They were miscreants, sent to be punished at the worst place imaginable. But nonetheless, a coffin was thrown into the sea, where it drifted farther and farther from the other coffins and farther away from the prison.

A raven, black as night, swooped down open one particular coffin, pecking the wood. Suddenly a gun went off and the creature was blown to smithereens. Then something even more unimaginable happened. A pistol, the very same one that had murdered the bird, stuck up from the ragged hole blown out of the coffin.

Captain Jack Sparrow emerged from the coffin, quite alive, pulling out his hat and settling it perfectly on his head. Realizing that he had no other way to get back to his beloved _Black Pearl _he winced and reached into the coffin once more, "Sorry mate." He pulled out the leg and attached foot of the coffin's deceased owner. "You mind if we make a little side trip?" He asked the dead man, dipping the leg into the water to use as a paddle. At the empty silence, save for the waves, Jack responded, "I didn't think so." Jack dipped the leg into the sea once more and began paddling to his ship.

Xx

Jack slapped the leg into Mr. Gibbs' outstretched hand, causing the man to look at it strangely as his captain climbed onto the ship. "Not quite according to plan."

Cotton draped Jack's coat around his shoulders as Jack turned to his first mate, "Complications arose, ensued, were overcome."

Gibbs handed the boney leg to Mr. Cotton and ran after Jack, "You got what ya went in for then?"

"Mhmm," Jack answered looking back at Gibbs. Jack turned back to where he was originally headed, but stopped as he was facing his entire crew.

"Captain, I think the crew...meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more... shiny. What, with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shaped and reclaimed by the sea, the treasure with it."

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," a new crew member, Jack had yet to learn the man's name spoke up as well. Jack narrowed his eyes. _Where _was this going?

"And the hurricane," Marty spoke up. The crew sounded with "Ayes." All except for Ana, who glared at the crew and stepped closer to Gibbs, who looked back at Jack, "All in all, it seems sometimes we should get a speck of honest pirating." They crew agreed again.

Jack looked at all of his crew members, tentatively, hoping this was going to go well, "Shiny?"

Gibbs nodded his head, "Aye, shiny."

"Well is that how you're all feeling then? That perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interests as captain?"

"Rawk! Walk the plank!" Cotton's parrot spoke up.

Cotton shoved a hand over the bird's beak, but Jack already had his pistol out, aimed, and cocked at the bird, "What did the bird say?!" He was not going to be subject to another mutiny at the hands of a damn bird! Or...er...wings.

"Do not blame the bird, " the unnamed crew member spoke up, "Show us, what is on that piece of cloth there?"

Jack glanced down at the cloth in his hands before Jack the undead monkey jumped at him, screeching. Jack jumped back, letting out a shout as the monkey jumped off of him and ran off with his cloth. Jack, angrily shot the monkey. Gibbs put a hand out, "You know that will do no good."

Jack looked at Gibbs wearily, "It does me." He hated that monkey. Hated it.

Marty ran over to the dropped cloth on the deck and picked it up, opened it, and scanned the inside. "It's a key?"

"No!" Jack shouted, running over to Marty and snatching the cloth from his hands, "It's much more better! It is a _drawing _of a key!" When none of his crew responded, Jack frowned, "Gentlemen-" At the fierce look from Anamaria he added, "And Ana, what do keys do?"

That same unnamed crew member spoke up, "Keys...unlock things?"

"Yes and whatever this key unlocks, inside is something valuable; so we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!"

Jack lifted a finger, "No." Gibbs looked confused, so Jack continued, "If we don't have the key, then we can't open whatever it is that we don't have that it unlocks, so what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it."

"So..we're going after this key?" Gibbs smiled, glad that he understood.

"You're not making any sense at all." Gibbs' smile dropped. Jack looked up at his crew, "Any more questions?"

"So..do we have a heading?" Marty asked.

Jack smiled and pulled out his compass, "Ah! A heading!" He snapped it open and lifted his hand, pointing. "Set sail..in a general.." Jack kept pointing in to different directions. But wait! Why would his compass do that? He knew what he wanted. The key! So, what was interfering with his compass? Jack kept moving the direction with his hand, before finally pointing left, where his compass finally pointed. He then turned to go back to his cabin, "Well, come on. Snap to and make sail, you know how this works!" Jack locked the door of his cabin.

Xx

Marty turned to Gibbs, "Have you noticed, the Captain seems to be acting a bit strange...er."

Gibbs nodded, "Setting sail without knowing his own heading? Something's got Jack vexed, and mark me words! Whatever bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all."

XxXx

Jack sat at his desk, looking at a map trying to figure out where he was going. he glanced down at the 'P' on his arm, before looking at his compass. He tapped it, hoping it would fix it; the compass kept pointing to two different directions. Jack sighed and reached for his bottle of rum, he looked down at it before tipping it upside down. Three drops dripped out of the empty bottle. Jack set down the bottle, "Why is the rum always gone?"

Jack stood up, and staggered drunkenly toward where his hat was. He picked it up and swayed back slightly. "Oh," he placed the hat on his head, "That's why." Jack grabbed his coat, and put that on as well, before grabbing a lantern and heading below deck.

Xx

He passed Ana's locked cabin, then the sleeping quarters for the rest of his crew. He raised his lantern, looking at the snoring crew, "As you were gents," he continued to the storage room and unlocked the door. He looped the keys on a hook by the door and walked toward where the rum bottles were stored. Something grabbed his attention and Jack raised up the lantern to see a barnacle on his ship. _Ugh. A barnacle in _my _ship? I'll have that one man clean it up. You_ _know, I really should learn his name. No. I don't like him. _

Jack spotted a bottle, "Ah!" He picked it up and frowned as he turned it over to reveal sand pouring out. _Damn it. Ana was right! Me crew used all of me rum for a drinking competition! _  
"Time's run out Jack."

Jack dropped the bottle and it shattered against the wooden floor. Jack slowly lifted his lantern and walked equally as slowly further into the hold. His eyes widened, "Bootstrap? Bill Turner?" Jack unconsciously raised his other hand to grasp Alice's locket.

Bootstrap raised his head, which had beetles crawling on it, which horrified Jack, "You look good Jack," water spilled from Bootstrap's mouth.

Jack tilted his head before standing up straight, "Is this a dream?" _It has to be a dream. _

"No," Bootstrap looked confused.

Jack sighed, "I thought not, if it were, there'd be rum." Bootstrap raised an arm with a crack, offering a bottle to Jack. Jack pried the bottle out of Bootstrap's hand, which he seemed to have a tight grip on, and set down his lantern.

Bootstrap looked around, "You got the _Pearl _back, I see."

Jack smiled, "I had some help retrieving the _Pearl _by the way. Your son." Jack wiped off the mouth of the bottle.

Bootstrap looked up at Jack surprised, "William? He ended up a pirate after all." Jack took a sip of rum. "Well at least my darling Alice is-" Bootstrap's eyes widened and he stood quickly, grasped the locket around Jack's neck, "Wh-where did you get that?" he asked, his voice wavering, accusingly. Jack cursed himself inwardly. Of course Bootstrap would have recognized the locket, he had been the one to give it to Alice.

"Alice gave it to me," he said, softly. He hadn't spoken _her_ name aloud for a year.

Bootstrap looked greatly saddened, "Why? I-I gave it to her."

Jack felt awful for his dead crew member, "Alice left it to me because we were both in jail, bound to be hung. She got taken back to London, where she is no safe and planned my escape. She left me the locket so that I'd remember her."

Bootstrap frowned, "My daughter is a pirate?"

Jack sympathized for the man, "Aye. Funny story actually, I met her before you. I just didn't know you were her father-" Jack quieted at the look on Bootstrap's face, and Jack realized that he hadn't see Alice since she was about six years old.

"She's beautiful," Jack blurted, not knowing where it came from, "Your daughter is. She's quite handy with a sword too. And famous. She's the Shadow Pirate. Well...was," he added under his breath. "She still loves you."

Bootstrap looked taken back, "What?"

"She forgave you for leaving."  
Bootstrap looked horribly sad. He stroked the locket once, the clasp opening and the tune filling the silence. Jack envisioned Alice holding Aria on her lap, while Jack watched from the helm:

_Alice was holding Aria against her, rocking her gently. Jack was watching from the helm. "Hush a bye, don't you cry-" Alice sang the tune sweetly to Aria, and soon the child was sleeping. Alice stood up and brought Aria into her cabin before returning. Jack left the helm to meet her, "You have a lovely voice."_

_Alice blushed, "Thank you."  
_

_Jack smirked, "Are you ever going to tell me about that locket of yours?"  
_

_Alice glanced down at it and smiled, "Well, I suppose." Jack helped her sit on the deck and he sat beside her, their backs against the rail of the ship.  
_

_"Well," Alice began, "This locket is very special-"  
_

Jack smiled at the memory and realized that the locket had ceased playing. He shut it gently and turned back to Bootstrap, "And to what do I owethe pleasure of your carbuncle?"

Bootstrap, still saddened looked up at Jack, "He sent me." At Jack's confused look, Bootstrap clarified, "Davy Jones."

Jack's eyes widened, "Oh. So it's you then. He shanghaied you into service, eh?"

Bootstrap looked up, "I chose it," he defended. "I'm sorry for the part in the mutiny I played against you Jack," Bootstrap slapped a hand at a small crab, and put it to his mouth, eating it. Jack stuck out his tongue, disgusted. "I stood up for you," Bootstrap continued, "Everything went wrong after that. They strapped me to a cannon. I ended up on the bottom of the ocean. The weight of the water crushing down on me. Unable to move; unable to die, Jack." Jack looked down. "And I thought that at even the tiniest hope of escape, I'd take it," Jack halfheartedly gave the bottle back to Alice's father, "I'd trade anything for it."

Jack stood and walked around a pole, "It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgement-"

"You made a deal with him Jack," Bootstrap surprised Jack, meeting him around the pole, "He raised the _Pearl _from the depths for you," Bootstrap kept leaning over Jack, "Thirteen years you've been Captain."

"Technically, I-"

"Jack, you won't be able to talk yourself out of this," Bootstrap shook his head, "The terms what apply to me apply to you as well: One soul. Bound to crew 100 years upon his ship-"

"Yes, but the _Flying Dutchman _already has a captain, so there's really no-"

"Then it's the locker for you!" Jack closed his mouth, starting to freak out. "Jones' terrible leviathan will find you, and drag the _Pearl _back down to the depths and you along with it!"

Bootstrap frowned, and spoke, almost to himself, "But if I know my daughter, she'll find a way back to the sea." Jack tried to tell Bootstrap that that would not happen. Not with Alice in Lord Ashwood's slimy grasp. but Bootstrap continued, "You keep her safe. When the leviathan comes, don't let it get her; she doesn't deserve it."

Jack winced, at least that wouldn't happen. Alice was in London. However, to please the barnacled man, Jack nodded, "Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?" Jack asked slowly.

"I already told you Jack," Jack stood upright, and Bootstrap slapped his palm against Jack's left hand and closed it, "He comes now, drawn with ravenous hunger towards the man what bears the black spot." Bootstrap disappeared and Jack slowly opened his hand. It. Was. There.

He ran, terrified, "Up on deck! I want movement! Movement! I want movement!" The crew woke, startled, and obeyed Jack's orders as their captain ran up on deck. Once on deck he grabbed a piece of cloth from someone, he didn't pay attention to who, and wrapped it around his black spot. "Run as if the devil his-self and itself is upon us!"

"Do we have a heading?" Gibbs spoke up, startling Jack.

"Ah! Run! Land!" Jack ran behind the mast and ducked.

Gibbs, unsatisfied, went back up to Jack, "Which port?"

"I didn't say port, I said land! Any Land!" Jack yelped again as that bloody monkey swooped down and swiped his hat off and threw it into the sea. It hissed at him and he hissed back. "Jack's hat!" Gibbs called out, "Bring 'er about!"

"No no! Leave it!" Everyone looked strangely at their captain, "Run," Jack said before running behind the stairs that lead up to the helm.

"Back to yer stations! The lot of ya!"

Ana walked up to Gibbs and put an hand on his arm, "Gibbs, what's the matter with Jack?"

"I don't know." The two walked slowly up to Jack, who was hiding. "Jack?"

"Shh."

"Jack! For the love of mother and child, what's coming after us?"

Jack looked up nervously, "Nothing."

Ana looked down to see that Jack had his left hand firmly grasped on Alice's locket. She walked up to him and laid a hand on his, "Jack? Is this about Al-"

"No!" Jack shouted, shoving Ana and Gibbs aside, and he fled into his cabin, locking the door.

Ana turned to Gibbs, "What do we do?"

Gibbs didn't know, he had never had a captain that terrified of anything. Not when he worked for the Navy, not when Alice was his captain, and never ever with Jack Sparrow. "Ana, I don't know. But we best get to land."

**Well there you go! An EXTRA LONG chapter! What do you think was the other thing Jack's compass was pointing to? Don't worry guys, Alice will be back in the next chapter!**

**~~Upisdowngirl~~  
**


	5. Chapter 5: Oh! A Wedding!

Chapter 5: Oh! What A Glorious Day For A Wedding!

**Well, to all who celebrate, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I'm in a brilliant mood, because I went to the Titanic museum today (So amazing!) So I'm giving you all this lovely chapter as a present! Here you go! :D**

My hands were tied over my head as the vile woman slipped a corset around me, fingering the scars from my lashings. She cackled as she began to tighten the strings on my corset to the point of me seeing black around the edges of my vision.

"I thought-" I gasped, "That I threw all the damn corsets," another gasp for breath, "Overboard."

The woman held up a finger and "tutted" me, "Miss, Lord Beckett's been saving this _special_ for you." After she finished tightening the corset, she untied my hands and shoved my arms through the sleeves of an emerald gown with gold curlicues decorating it. It was lovely, but the silk against my body felt wrong, and my head reeled at the thought of wearing this gown, this cursed gown, that _he _gave me.

I numbly slid my stockinged feet into the tight emerald-colored heels on the floor, grabbing onto a table for balance. The woman held up my right hand, smirking at the 'P' there.

"Oh no no no, this will not do." She picked up a pair of white satin gloves and I slid them up my arm.

_I could not feel anymore. Even the pain in my back, where the corset cut into my wounds began to dull. I was completely numb._

Then the woman held up a very very large necklace. It was gold with emeralds set in them, the largest one in the center. I stiffened as she clasped it around my neck. It felt like Beckett's icy fingers choking me.

Then she picked up the thing I dreaded; the thing that I would not, could never wear. The ring. She set it on the dressing table and set about to do my hair. She curled it and put it up in a brilliant up-do, securing it with small pins. She clipped in it a gold barrette of a flower, which held in it again, emeralds.

I looked at myself blankly in the mirror.

Who was this? This strange woman who stared back at me? That woman looked like the wife of some Lord, Governor, or something, but not me. Where was Alice? The Shadow Pirate? The mighty pirate she once had been? I sighed, Alice is gone. A single tear slid down my cheek.

Xx

The door opened, "Ah, _Lady_ Ashwood you look exquisite!" The horrific voice of Beckett sounded from the threshold of my room.

I did not turn, "Cutler, what do you want?" I asked, numbly.

He chuckled and I felt his hands on my shoulders; I glanced up at his reflection towering over mine in the mirror. He grasped my hand and pulled me from the chair I was sitting on, so that I was standing.

He turned me to face him, "Alice, you're not wearing my engagement ring."

I stared into space numbly as he slid the gold thing onto my finger. It was too heavy. I glanced down at it and felt my heart grow heavy.

Yes, Alice is gone. Alice would have already thrown the bloody ring into the ocean. Alice would have slapped Beckett. Alice would have fought through this. But I wasn't me anymore. I was simply a shell of what I had once been. My spirit had been murdered, and had withered away. I could do nothing anymore. I simply was.

He smirked and wrapped an arm around my waist. I shuddered, but let him lead me from my room, and down the gangplank, out into the streets of Port Royal. He turned to me, "Now Alice, dear, you may go visit your brother, but I will collect you at precisely half past six this afternoon. Yes?" I just nodded once and he walked away. Thank God! I sighed, and began walking to my brother's blacksmith shop.

Xx

I stood hesitantly outside the Brown's black-smithy. Will. I hadn't seen him for a year. Would he still want me here? I sighed and opened the door slowly.

Will stood, his back to me and he was mumbling something to himself, as he straightened his clothes. I smiled and walked behind him, putting a hand on his arm. He jumped and turned, then broke into a grin. "Alice," he breathed.

"Will."

He put his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes before folding me in a giant hug. I winced at the pain in my back, but wrapped my arms around his neck, tears running down my cheeks. He pulled me away from him, put kept his hands on my shoulders. He tentatively brought one hand up and wiped a tear from cheek, "Alice, why are you crying?"

"I just missed you so much," I lied. Truthfully, I _had_ missed him, very much, but I was crying for a different reason. I had realized how alone I had been in the last year; just being near someone who loved me, brought back all the memories of the past year. A year that would look like nothing now. I realized that Cutler Beckett meant to marry me. What a hell my life would be then.

"Well, how are you?"

"I'm tolerably well." Another lie. But I wouldn't complain about the pains of my life to my brother on his wedding day.

He nodded, "That's good." He looked at me and something strange passed his face. An expression I'd never seen him wear. "You look beautiful," he whispered, pushing a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. I smiled, though inside, I wanted to rip the gown off. "You look exactly like mum."

"Except for the eyes," I smirked, "Mine are green, her's were brown." He nodded and I looked up at him. He towered over me. But, well, I was really short, so that didn't take much. "You look very handsome, Will." He smiled, "But you really don't look like dad. I do not know why people think you do."

Will laughed, "Still have that fiery little spirit, eh?" I nodded. Will didn't know how wrong the statement was.

"Well, it's time to get you to that chapel, yes?"

Will laughed, "Yes...but the reverend doesn't like me."

"Why ever not?"

Will hesitated, "I set him on fire yesterday."

I choked, "What?!"

Will blushed, "I...uh..I dropped a candle."

I laughed and embraced my brother once more, "You clumsy buffoon!"

Will smirked, "Yeah, says the one who tripped on her own feet when we were little."

"True enough," I shrugged. Will looped his arm through mine.

Suddenly, the doors were burst open violently, smacking against the walls of the smithy. Dozen of soldiers ran into the smithy, and I let out a shriek as the pulled me away from Will. The pulled Will's hands in front of him and chained them with shackles.

I ran to the soldier chaining him and tried to pull him away, "No! No! You can not do this! You simply can not! NO!" I shrieked but another soldier pulled me away. I was thrashing around in his arms and did not realizing that he was leading me somewhere until I felt the cold rain soak into me. I looked up at the dreary grey sky as I was pulled away.

Xx

We were led up to a little garden-like area outside the chapel. I frowned at the soldiers around me, who, one of which, held my hands tightly behind my back. Suddenly, Elizabeth Swann came running up to Will, "Will!" she cried, putting her hands on his chest, "What's happening?"

"I don't know," he whispered.

She turned around and glared at me, "This is _your _fault!"

My mouth opened in anger, "Is _not_!" I protested.

"You look beautiful," Will called to her, in a desperate attempt to get her to leave me be.

She turned to him and smiled, "I think it bad luck for the bride to see the groom before the wedding."

I bit back a smart remark as Governor Swann approached, "Make way! Let me through!" Two guards crossed their bayonets and the governor glared at them, shocked, "How dare you! Stand your men down at once! Do you hear me?"

I rolled my eyes and then stiffened as I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Let her go, thank you," a voice that I _really _didn't want to hear sounded from behind me. The guards hands let mine go and Beckett's gently moved them from behind my back. He gripped my right wrist, gently, but strongly. I knew that I could not loosen my wrist if I tried.

"Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long," he stated, bored, to the governor of Port Royal.

Swann stepped back, surprised, "Cutler Beckett?"

"It's Lord now, actually."

The two soldiers lowered their weapons and Swann stepped forward, "Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man."

"Oh, in fact I do. Mr. Mercer." I stiffened against Beckett's side. He leaned towards my ear, "You do remember him, yes?" he whispered. My eyes widened and I went to grasp my locket, but alas, it was not there. "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner," Beckett handed a piece of parchment to Governor Swann.

His eyes widened, "This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann."

"Oh, that's annoying, my mistake. Arrest her."

"No!" Will called out as two men grabbed Elizabeth.

"On what charges!" she called out.

Beckett simply went back to his documents, "Aha! Here's the one for William Turner," he handed it to Swann. "And another one for a Mr. James Norrington, is he present?" My eyes snapped up to where Beckett had walked forward, realizing my wrist, and was waving the warrant in the air.

"James!" I whispered, my voice sounded strangled.

"What are the charges!?" Elizabeth shouted as the shakled were placed on her hands.

"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago," Governor Swann spoke up. What? James had resigned?

"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked." Mercer handed Beckett another parchment. Beckett sighed, annoyed, "Oh, and one more warrant for the arrest of Alice Turner, the Shadow Pirate, but she's not here, obviously so-" Beckett shoved the warrant back at Mr. Mercer, glaring.

I stepped forward,"_Lord _Beckett, the Shadow Pirate is here." Beckett shook his head and Will looked at me, pleading silently me for me to be quiet.

"_Lady _Ashwood. I believe you are mistaken."

"I am not. I am the Shadow Pirate."

Beckett laughed, "Oh, Lady Ashwood, I do believe that the long voyage to Port Royal has made you tired. I shall escort you to your lodgings so you may rest."

"I can prove it." I started to remove the glove from my right hand, but Beckett grabbed it and held it to his lips.

"I do apologize for my _fiancee's_ behavior. She is unwell." Beckett explained. Damn him!

Will looked strangled and gaped at me. But he then spoke up, "Lord Beckett, in the catagory of questions not answered."

"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal, and you will tell us what we are charged with," Elizabeth finished.

"The charge, is for conspiring to set free a man convicted of piracy, and for crimes against the crown of the empire, and and put to death, for which the-" Governor Swann looked horrified.

"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death," Beckett smiled.

I stepped forward again, "I did it! I conspired to set free a pirate, as I am one myself! They are innocent! I swear it!"

Beckett clapped a hand over my mouth and I struggled against his hold, "Do you remember a certain pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow?"

"Captain!" I said, though it was muffled by Beckett's hand.

"Captain!" Will and Elizabeth both spoke together. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

Beckett smiled, "Captain Jack Sparrow," he mused, "Yes, I thought you might." He turned to his soldiers, "Take those two to the prison." Then he turned to me and slapped me hard, startling the only man, besides Mercer, present: Governor Swann.

"You can not just slap a woman like-"

Beckett held up a hand, "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

I smirked, "Ruining your life."

"You could have gotten yourself hung for being a pirate!"

"You should have thought of that when you branded me thirteen years ago after I did nothing!" I shrieked.

Governor Swann looked at me, horrified, "What?"

"Besides, I would rather be hung than be your wife."

Beckett grabbed my arm harshly and pulled me away, "I need to speak to you privately! You damn harpy!"

**Well...Uh oh. **

**~~Upisdowngirl~~ **


	6. Chapter 6: An Offer From The Devil

Chapter 6: An Offer From The Devil

**Thank you to all my reviewers! You are what makes me keep going! Thank you! Here's a little Christmas present for you: A Chapter! Merry Christmas to you all! Happy Holidays! :D**

"You cannot do that to a Lady!" Governor Swann shouted, putting an arm on my shoulder. I sent him a grateful look, and he nodded.

Beckett turned to him, "I believe that she said it herself. She is a pirate!" He shook my arm painfully then pulled me away, swearing. "I should hang you for this!"

I smirked, "You won't."

His face, red with anger, paled, "What makes you think that, Alice?"

I jerked my wrist from his grip and sat in the chair behind his desk, receiving a glare from him, "I just know." Beckett sighed, before turning to look at the man who was painting a map of the world on the wall of his office.

"You're doing a fine job," he stated, emotionless, while he walked over to Mercer to look over some papers.

I looked around the office and frowned. This had been James' office. I wonder what became of the former Commodore. I sighed and looked down at the desk in front of me. My my my, what have we here! I smirked, looking at all the documents I found.

"Lord Beckett, the prisoner, as ordered, sir." I looked up to see that three men had escorted Will into the room. I frowned and leaned back in the chair, propping my feet up on the desk.

Beckett glanced at Will quickly, "Ah, those won't be necessary." A man moved to remove the shackles on Will's wrists. Will looked up at me, sadly. Poor thing! His wedding had been ruined. Although, he could have done better than Lizzie Swann.

Xx

Lord Beckett poured champagne into two glasses. and I spoke up indignantly, "Oi! I'd like a glass of that!"

Beckett looked at me warily, "Ladies of the court do not drink."

I scoffed, "Do too! And I'm not a Lady, I'm a pirate. I've drank harder stuff than that wimpy little drink over there." I motioned to the glasses. Will barely contained a laugh, which only encouraged me further, giving me more bravado.

Beckett frowned and poured water into a glass, before handing it to me. He glanced at me feet warily, "Get your feet off of my desk."

"No thank you." I took a sip from the glass and grimaced, "Water?"

Beckett sighed, "Alice it's-"

"What?" I demanded.

"It's-"

"What!?"

"It's-" I splashed the water at him. Ha! I love annoying him! It's so much fun!

Beckett's composed face grew quite red, "LADY ASHWOOD!" He grabbed my wrist harshly and dragged me from his desk to stand in front of Will.

Will shook his head, "Well, now you've done it!"

I shrugged.

"Alice, please stop being so unmanageable." He smirked, "We don't need to get word of this to your father, do we?"

I gasped, my face paling and turning to ash. I felt dizzy, "No."

Beckett smiled, "Good then. Mr. Turner, the East India Trading Company has need of your services."

I sighed and stood silent and still at my brother's side. I had been reminded of why I could not rebel against Cutler Beckett. He had too much power against me. As long as he had that, he could control me. I shuddered and grasped Will's arm for support. Beckett handed the champagne to Will, who refused it.

Will, gently wrapped an arm around my waist, as if to protect me from Lord Beckett. This sweet gesture reminded me of how much I had missed him over the past year.

Xx

Beckett continued, "We wish for you to act as our agent in a business transaction with out mutual friend, Captain Sparrow." Beckett had walked across the room and was now at the fireplace, reaching in.

"More acquaintance than friend," Will replied honestly, sneaking a glance at me, "How do you know him?"

"We've had dealings in the past-"

I laughed bitterly.

Beckett continued, pulling something out of the fire, "And we've each left our mark on the other."

I gasped and stiffened as Beckett twirled the 'P' brand around. He walked over to me and forced me to look at it. "Do you remember, Miss Turner?"

I swallowed painfully, "Is it the same one?"

Beckett's face was impassive, "The very same one."

Will's hold on me grew tighter, "What is he talking about, Alice?"

Beckett smirked, amused, "You didn't tell him?"

I shook my head, not trusting my voice. My teeth were clenched so tightly that my jaw began to ache and I feared that my teeth would crack.

"How about you show him?" Beckett urged. When I did not reply, he gently grabbed my wrist and put it in Will's hand. I closed my eyes as Will lifted the green sleeve above my wrist so that he would find what was hidden there.

Will gasped, "You did it to her!" he whispered.

He glanced at my face, which swirled with mixed emotions of sorrow and pure hatred.

Beckett had put back the brand and was again standing before me. He lifted a hand to stroke my cheek, "And I so regret it, Alice."

I turned my face into Will's chest, so that the bastard before me couldn't touch me.

Xx

Will continued the transaction, now knowing just how powerful Beckett was, "What mark did he leave on you?"

Beckett frowned, "By your efforts, Jack Sparrow was set free."

"My efforts! It was my plan!" I argued, so that Cutler might leave Will alone about it.

He barely glanced at me before continuing, "I would like you to go with Mr. Turner to find Jack Sparrow and recover a certain property in his possession."

"Recover, at the point of a sword?" Will queried.

I gasped and glared at my brother. This action did not go unnoticed by Beckett.

"Bargain." He walked over to his desk and pulled out a bundle, "Letters of mark. You will offer what amounts to a full pardon. Jack will be free, a privateer in the employ of England."

I shook my head, "Jack would not consider employment the same as being free." My eyes narrowed, "You know that."

"Freedom," Beckett muttered. He walked out of the office, and to a small balcony, where he looked at a clock face being lifted.

Will and I followed, Will's arm still looped around my waist, "Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Fine." Will knew this to be a lie, but didn't push me further.

"Jack Sparrow is a dying breed." I bit my tongue to keep from saying that pirates were, in fact, _not_ a dying breed! How dare he! "The world is shrinking, the blank edges of the map filled in. Jack must find his place in the new world or perish, unlike you, Mr. Turner." Beckett turned to face us, "You and your fiance' face the hangman's noose."

Will's face looked impassive, "So you get both Jack and the _Black Pearl_?"

I scoffed. Jack would die for that ship. There's no way he would willing give it up. Didn't Beckett know this? I mean, Jack Sparrow searched for ten years for his ship after the mutiny. Is that not dedication? Jack wouldn't give up that ship, not for anything and not for anyone.

Beckett looked at Will strangely, "The _Black Pearl_?"

Will nodded, "The property that you want that he possesses."

I snorted, causing both men to look at me. I simply rolled my eyes and looked out at the sea. It called to me. Oh how it called to me! The saltwater in my veins ached and stung to be at sea. Freedom. The word that Beckett had used so freely, carelessly. It was because he had freedom; he did not recognize what a beautiful gift it is. I do not have freedom and my sweet Aria never did either. Lord Beckett didn't understand that Jack Sparrow would never give up his freedom. It was beautiful and precious, and those who have it neglect it. Yet I understand what it is to have freedom taken away from you. I know what it's like to have that cherished gift taken away. Freedom is the one thing that people take for granted.

"A ship, hardly," Beckett scoffed.

I rolled my eyes, "It's better than the _Endeavor,_" I muttered, receiving a glare.

Beckett cleared his throat, "The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times. A compass."

My eyes widened and I looked back out to sea. Jack's compass. It pointed to the thing you wanted most. Whatever Beckett wanted, it couldn't be good.

He studied my face, "Ah, you know it."

"I may or may not quite possibly know what object you might be speaking of, though I might not."

"Bring me that compass, or there's no deal."

Will stood straighter, "If we bring you the compass, both Elizabeth and I am free."

"Yes."

Will turned to me, "Well then, come on."

"Wait a moment, William." I walked up to Beckett and smirked, pulling the heavy ring off my finger and throwing it on the floor where Beckett's eyes followed it. "I may be a '_damn harpy' _but I would never marry a heartless bastard like you." I grabbed the letter of mark from his hand and grabbed Will's hand and led him out of Beckett's office, leaving Lord Cutler Beckett speechless, with his mouth agape.

**Well well well, Alice may have just gotten herself into a bit of trouble! **

**~~Upisdowngirl~~  
**


	7. Chapter 7 Jail Cell

Chapter 7: Jail Cell

"Ow, ow, ow ow ow OW!" I yelled as Will dragged me towards the jail. "Stop dragging me! You're hurting my wrist you jerk!" I glared at my older brother.

He glared back, "I want to see Elizabeth before we leave."

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, yes, of _course_."

Will stopped walking and turned quickly to face me, "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," I started walking towards the jail again. Hm. Funny, I never thought that I would do that willingly.

Will grabbed my arm violently, "Hey!" He jerked me back to face him.

I slapped him. I had had _enough _man-handling for a damn lifetime! "What the hell is your problem Will?!"

Will's cheek was red where I had slapped him; his hand was cradling his face in pain. I almost laughed. I had forgotten that I slapped really hard. You don't tend to slap people when you're being held captive by your adoptive jerk of a father.

Will looked quite appalled at my behavior, "I thought that you went to London to become a lady, Alice. Why are you acting like such a...a..." Will's fury was consuming his speech ability. But I knew what he meant.

"A pirate? Well, maybe that's because I bloody am one!" I shrieked while motioning at my right wrist.

Will's face was red now, completely, "And another thing, why didn't you tell me about this!?" Will grabbed my wrist violently.

I tried to push him away, but I wasn't strong enough. "Will!" I yelled with tears in my eyes. He looked at me, finally, "You are hurting me," I whispered.

Will released my wrist and apologized. "I was simply taken back by the fact that my baby sister was branded a pirate and I didn't know."

I looked down, unable to meet his eyes, "Don't call me that."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

"I don't trust you," I said simply. I was _not _going to explain to my brother that I was terrified that he would leave all alone again, as childish as it may sound.

"Hey," Will was obviously hurt by my comment, however he put a hand on my arm gently, "Let's just go to the jail."

I nodded and let him lead me into the jail.

Xx

Will ran into the jail quickly, his eyes scanning the cells for any sign of his fiancé.

"They can't be here!" a guard protested.

Governor Swann looked at me with an expression that I didn't understand, for just a moment before he turned to the guard, "I think you'll find that they can."

"Mr. Swann!" The guard warned.

"_Governor _Swann still. Do you think I wear this wig to keep my head warm?" I almost laughed at the Governor's tone, but the situation made the act inappropriate.

Will knelt down in front of Elizabeth Swann, grasping her hands through the cell.

"Jack's compass, what does Beckett want with that?" I heard Elizabeth exclaim. I rolled my eyes. Idiots. They don't know what the compass points to! I leaned back against the wall of the jail, beside Governor Swann.

"Lady Ashwood-" I frowned.

"Just call me Alice, Governor, I am still a pirate, despite my _father's_," I sneered at the word and twisted it around on my tongue, mocking the man I hated, "attempts to change it."

Governor Swann looked down at my wrist and I closed my eyes in anticipation of his curiosity.

"Lord Beckett branded you for no reason?"

I sighed. I really didn't want to talk about this. Especially not with _him. _But I saw no way out of it. "Well, there was a reason. Just an idiotic one."

Governor Swann looked at me to continue, "He wanted me to marry him. I refused to become the bastard's wife. My first _act_ of piracy," I smirked. I wouldn't tell him about Aria. No one deserved to know about that sweet little angel.

Swann's mouth was open and he looked horrified. I suppose the truth was too much for the old man. Well...half truth.

"-We're to find Jack and convince him to come to Port Royal, and in exchange the charges against us will be dropped." Will was explaining to Elizabeth.

Swann tore away his eyes from me, "No! We must find our own avenue to secure your freedom."

"Is that a lack of faith in Jack, or in me?" Will asked his future father-in law, his eyes narrowing.

"I have a lack of faith in Alice," Elizabeth mumbled from her cell, glancing at me warily.

I stifled the string of Spanish curses that I wanted to yell at her and gave her only a glare.

"That you would risk you life to save Sparrow's does not mean that he would do the same for anyone else. Where is that dog with the keys?" Swann started whistling for the dog.

Elizabeth was staring at me, "Lizzie, darling, I know that I'm attractive, but I thought that only _men _thought so," I smirked at Elizabeth.

She glared at me, "Jack would risk his life to save you."

I laughed, "Oh! And you are sure?"

She nodded once, stiffly.

Will looked quite confused, "What do you-"

"Send her."

"What, " both Will and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Send Alice to go get Jack, and don't risk your life."

Will looked slightly upset with his fiancé and I leaned back once more to enjoy the conversation.

"I don't think that's a good idea Elizabeth," Will commented, gently, so as not to hurt her feelings.

"Yes it is. We don't risk our lives, only hers. Jack would risk his for her,"

"I don't really think he would," I protested, but was ignored as Elizabeth continued,

"-and she wouldn't leave with the compass for her own gain," she barely sent me a glance, "Even if she is a filthy pirate-"

"Hey!" I spoke up, my voice dangerous. I smiled evilly when I saw slight fear in poor Lizzie's eyes.

"-she would come back for her brother," she finished, quietly.

"Just let both of us go, Elizabeth," Will spoke tiredly.

Elizabeth sighed, "I have faith in _you_."

"Not me?" A simple look at my direction from Elizabeth Swann told me what she thought.

"Where will you find him?" She continued.

"Tortuga." Lizzie and Will looked up at me, "We can start there, and keep searching. I know several islands around the Caribbean." See? I was trying to be kind towards my soon-to-be-sister-in-law by admitting that I would help them.

"Then when we find him, I intend to return here and marry you," Will spoke lovingly to Elizabeth.

"Properly?"

"If you'll still have me."

"If it weren't for these bars I'd have you already." The two lovebirds leaned in for a kiss.

I made a gagging noise. Both lovey-doves turned back to me annoyed.

"That is so disgusting. Will, keep your love life private! No little sister _ever _needs to see that."

Governor Swann started laughing at my commented and composed himself at Lizzie and Will's shared annoyed look. "Sorry. The dog-" he tried to make up an excuse. I smiled at him and he returned the smile. Well then! At least I got along with one Swann.

"I'll wait for you," Elizabeth sighed.

I stood properly, "Well, what else can you do when you are locked behind bars?" I grabbed Will's wrist and started to drag him out of the jail. Elizabeth glared at me.

Will laughed, "Keep a weather eye on the horizon!" he called to her as I pulled him out of the jail.

**Why can't Will and Alice ever just be OKAY? One of them is always upset at the other. And Lizzie! Well, I don't think that she and Alice would be friendly sisters-in-law. But that could change...**

**~~Upisdowngirl~~**


	8. Chapter 8: Captain Sam

Chapter 8: Captain Sam

"So, Alice, how exactly are we getting to Tortuga?"

I sighed, "William, we are going to barter our way to Tortuga. Were you not listening when I explained the plan?"

Will looked at me blankly and I took that as a no. Really, my brother was an ignoramus at times!

I frowned and picked up my skirts, trying to walk through the rain in them. The damn thing was so heavy! I don't know how I could walk in it! Will had rushed into the black smithy and I had asked if I could change. He told me that there wasn't enough time. So imagine how I felt when he walked out of the smithy and had changed clothes as well as grabbed a sword!

He had simply shrugged and said, _"Sorry, Alice. You would have taken too long to change." _I have been grumbling to myself ever since about how Will was a rude eunuch, all the way up to the docks.

I walked up to a tall man that looked like a captain, "Excuse me sir, where are you going?"

The man narrowed his eyes at me, "Why are ye askin' lassie?"

I sighed deeply, "We," I gestured to myself and Will, who stood behind me, "Need passage to Tortuga."

The man laughed and rubbed his scraggly brown beard, "Why would _you _be goin' there?"

"That is my affair. I simply seek passage."

The man shrugged, "I'll take ya lass, but I need payment."

I smiled and held up a small object. It was a solid gold paper weight, molded to look like a globe. "Will this cover it?"

The man's mouth opened in shock and he nodded vigorously, "Aye. Aye, that'll do."

I smiled sweetly and leaned in to whisper to the man and he nodded.

"What's yer name Missy?"

"Diane. Diane LaRue."

The man smiled and gestured for me to board the ship.

I walked up the gangplank with Will right behind me. Will ran up to me on deck and grabbed my forearm, spinning me to face him. "Where did you get that?"

I grinned devilishly, "Beckett's desk."

Xx

I was very much enjoying this journey to Tortuga. Will, however, was not. The minute after we boarded the ship, Captain Sam held out a bucket and told Will to swab the deck! I had laughed so hard that my knees gave out from under me and my stomach began to ache. I had told Captain Sam before we boarded the ship, that Will was a good cabin boy and would do anything that the Captain asked.

Will was not amused. He glared at me and started to slosh water at me, but Captain Sam walked by and frowned at him.

"Leave the lady alone, boy."

I had then left to go to the railing. This was nice. The Caribbean air, the smell of the sea. I was free again! For, however long, at least. I closed my eyes and smiled, enjoying the embrace of the sun. I breathed deeply and smiled. _This_ was where I belonged. _This _was my home. The sea. I soon felt the warm sun begin to fade and I opened my eyes to see that the sun was going down. I sighed. Goodbye sweet, sweet sun.

I left the railing and started walking around the deck. Where was Will? I leaned against the mast and scanned the faces of the crew. No. No. Not even close. Aha! Found him! I walked slowly up to Will, "Hello sweet brother."

Will looked up at me and glared, "What do you want Alice?"

I smiled, "To check on my favorite brother."

Will stopped scrubbing the deck and looked at me fully. "I _know _that's not why you're here. What is it?"

I sighed, giving in. "Can I go to sleep?"

Will started scrubbing again, "No."

"But-"

"No."

"I'm tired!" I whined.

"And Elizabeth is locked up! We are here to find Jack so that we can save _her. _Not so you can sleep! You've relaxed enough in the past year. _Some _people actually have to _work_ to live. You got luxury for free."

I stopped my heeled foot, " Eunuco estupido! Te odio! Su novia es una perra mimada!" **(Translation: Stupid eunuch! I hate you! Your fiancé is a spoiled bitch!)**

Will gaped at me, but kept scrubbing. I growled and stomped away. I stomped right up to the railing and there I glared at the dark water, seething at my brother.

Xx

I had been standing here for hours! My eyes drooped from exhaustion. I could hardly exert myself at all without nearly dropping to the ground.

"Miss?" I turned to see Captain Sam looking rather uneasy.

"Yes, Captain?"

Sam swallowed, "Missy, we don't make port at Tortuga. We sailed as close as possible...but-"

I nodded, understanding, "We need to swim to shore. I understand."

Sam smiled at me, "T'was a pleasure to have ye aboard."

I nodded, "Thank you for taking us aboard." I yawned. It was the middle of the night and I hadn't slept in two days. I walked over to where Will was by the railing. I noticed that there was no one on deck. They are all sleeping. I frowned. Great. I was the one stuck with the crazy brother who was too obsessed with saving darling Lizzie to let me sleep at all. He looked back at me, a smirk playing on his lips. I raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Payback." Will shoved me over the side of the ship, and I shrieked in surprise.

**So, yep. Alice knows Spanish. It'll be explained how...eventually. Mwah haha! Sorry if the Spanish isn't exactly correct. I used Google Translate and my computer won't make all the little accent marks that are in other languages. Stupid thing! **

**Reviews would be MUCH appreciated. They help me so much and make my day!**

**~~Upisdowngirl~~ **


	9. Chapter 9: And My Day Just Gets Better

Chapter 9: And My Day Just Gets Better

I shrieked as I plummeted off of the side of the ship. It was a quick fall and I hit the swirling ocean almost immediately. My lungs filled with air and I clawed for the surface. Damn it! I couldn't move! The stupid dress was too heavy!

I finally pulled myself to the surface and I looked back at the ship and tried to swim toward it, but my heavy dress pulled me back. I fought to keep my head above water, kicking furiously, I spit salty water from my mouth. I was so tired and my arms objected to my struggling. The water seemed soft and calming.

_Don't struggle, _it said, _Rest. _

I felt my strength leaving my body and I was below the water once again. I couldn't struggle; I was so tired.

Oddly enough, my mind wandered to Port Royal, where Elizabeth had been in practically the same situation. I had laughed to myself, wondering how a lady couldn't swim in her fancy little dresses, but I now knew exactly how. But there was one thing that was quite different about my situation and hers. Her brother had not pushed her off of a ship.

My vision darkened and I nearly breathed. My lungs burned, begging me to let out the breath that I had sucked in before being pulled under. My vision grew even darker and I felt hand wrap around my waist, tugging me. The darkness was overpowering; it clouded my vision; it consumed me...

Xx

"Come on!" a frantic voice whimpered.

I opened my eyes slowly and closed them again quickly. The sun was so bright! It burned my eyes! I slowly opened my eyes again and looked up at the worried face of William Turner II. I groaned and mumbled something that even I didn't understand. Will smiled and embraced me tightly, "Alice! You're alive!"

I groaned again and asked quietly, "Wh-what happened?" My voice was rough and it tumbled out painfully, scratching my throat. _The salt. _

Will's eyes clouded over, "You...fell overboard and-"

I smacked his chest with both of my hands, and weakly pushed my brother off of me. "I did not you idiot! You pushed me off the side of the ship! What the hell was that for?!"

Will looked down guiltily, "Alice, I'm sorry, but I-"

I held up a hand, "No excuses Will!"

He nodded and helped me up. I stumbled like a drunkard and held onto Will for a moment before I oriented myself again. I nodded to myself, acknowledging my surroundings and let go of Will.

I frowned and looked down at my sopping wet, and now sea-stained gown. It was so heavy! How was I to walk around in this!

I sighed and turned to my brother, "Will, can I find something to change into?" I gestured to my dress, warily.

Will groaned and shook his head, grabbing my hand, "No Alice! We have to hurry!"

I sighed. Oh Will. What a bloody lovely brother. He almost drowns his sister then refuses to let her change. What a downright lovely chap.

Not.

Will walked off, my wrist in his grasp so that I _had _to follow.

Xx

Will was walking around asking people about Jack Sparrow's whereabouts. I sighed and watched knowing that this was almost hopeless. We needed to go straight to the Faithful Bride. Will disagreed. I tried to tell him that it was the best place to ask for Jack's whereabouts, but all Will said was:

_"Alice, I'm the elder sibling. I think that I know what to do more than you would."_

He really said that? To me? Yes, apparently Will is just that much of an idiot.

X

Will stopped in front of an old man who standing on the dock, and asked about Jack.

"Captain Jack Sparrow?" the man asked.

We both nodded.

The man shrugged, "Owes me four doubloons. Thought he was dead."

Will looked nervous but thanked the man.

I almost laughed. That sounded like Jack! He would pretend to be dead to get out of a debt!

Will walked off towards a man who was standing in the water. I stayed on shore because I didn't want to risk anymore "accidents."

"Singapore. That's what I heard." This new man told Will.

Singapore? I shuddered. I hope he's not there.

"Drunk with-a smile on 'is face. Sure as a tide, Jack Sparrow, will show up in Singapore."

I nodded thanks for the man's time and led Jack off towards the heart of Tortuga. We ended up in front of the Faithful Bride, when two familiar faces appeared. Scarlett and Giselle. Will asked them if they knew about Jack.

"Jack Sparrow?" Giselle asked and glanced back at Scarlett. "When you find him, will you give him a message?" She smacked him hard across the cheek and then the two women walked off. I laughed at Will's pain.

"It serves you right!" I snorted at the angry look on his face.

"Is that my payback?"

I smirked, "No. That was just a very lucky coincidence!" Will sighed and walked back towards the docks, determined to find some reliable information.

X

"Cannot say about Jack," a man with dreadlocks said as he untied a net, "But there's an island, just south of 'ere, I go there for delicious long pork." The man looked directly at me, "Cannot say about Jack, but you find a ship dere. A ship wif black sails."

_The Pearl! _I thought excitedly. The man smiled and said that he could take us to this island. Well, that was easier than I thought!

The man ushered us onto a ship and Will and I stood at the railing, waiting.

X

The man came up beside us and looked through a spyglass. He nodded to himself. "My brother will take you ashore."

I smiled, "Thank you sir." He looked at me with no emotion and walked away.

I shrugged and Will helped me into the long boat where the man's brother was waiting. As soon as we were both in the boat, the man began to row.

The man kept looking at me sadly. I didn't understand why. Suddenly, he stopped rowing and looked at Will.

Will sighed, confused, "What's wrong? The beach is right there."

The man went off in rapid fire French and I only caught one word. Dangeroux. Dangerous.

Will sighed and stood to jump into the water. He saw my frantic expression and smiled, "Don't worry, I'll help you." I nodded, thankfully.

"Bon voyage Monsieur," the French man said to Will. Will jumped into the waves and I sighed and stood to follow.

The man grabbed my arm gently and looked into my eyes, worriedly. He placed a circle of white pearls around my neck and took my hand, "Attention Mademoiselle, c'est une ile mal. Je prierai pour votre securite." **("Be careful, Miss, this is an evil island. I will pray for your safety." Alice doesn't understand, but I'll translate for you.)**

I had no idea what this meant. The only words that I could translate, were Miss and Be careful.

"Merci," I thanked him and stood.

"Au revoir," the man whispered.

I nodded and jumped into the sea, screaming slightly when the water pulled me under. I felt strong hands around my waist, and I was above water once more.

Will smiled, "I told you that I would help you."

Will swam slowly, mindfully aware of the fact that my gown was very heavy. I gasped when a current grabbed at me, but Will kept me above water.

Finally we reached the shore and I looked up to see that it was, indeed, the _Black Pearl. _

I smiled and then stumbled, but Will caught me. I smiled nervously, "The stupid gown is quite heavy when it is wet."

Will nodded, "I know."

He looked up at the ship and called out, "Jack!"

No answer.

"Jack Sparrow!" We continued up the beach, closer to the _Black Pearl._

Sill no reply.

"Marty!" Will tried again.

"Jack!" I yelled.

"Cotton!"

"Jack!"

"Anybody?" Will asked me. I shrugged, but an eerie chill crawled up my spine.

Will kept walking toward the jungle and a familiar parrot flew toward us and landed in a palm tree. I smiled, it was Cotton's parrot!

"Ah, a familiar face," Will smiled.

"Rawk! Don't eat me!" the parrot squawked.

Will frowned, as did I. What was going on?

"We're not gonna eat you," Will told the parrot, confusion swimming in his eyes.

I grabbed Will's arm, "Will, I have a bad feeling." He nodded and kept walking into the jungle. I had no choice but to follow him.

Will suddenly stopped and picked up a flask, "Gibbs."

My eyes widened. It was Gibbs' flask. "Will, I really think that we should go now!"

Will followed a vine that was hooked to Gibbs' flask. I sighed and walked away slightly. I looked at a tree and frowned. Did that tree have...faces on it?

"Will?"

Suddenly, the face opened it's eyes and screamed, which caused Will to step back and get his foot caught in a trap. I screamed as Will was pulled into the air, upside down.

More people came out of the jungle and surrounded me. I gulped and looked back at Will, who was swinging his sword around violently.

"Let's go! I could do this all day!" he was shouting. The men looked at him strangely then blew something at him. It stuck in his neck and caused him to go limp.

I screamed and put a hand to my mouth. Was my brother dead?

Suddenly, one man had a grip on the pearl necklace that I had been given. I looked at it closely and realized that each pearl had carvings on it. I gulped as two men grabbed each of my arms.

"Parlay?"

**Well, uh oh. This was a LONG chapter! I hope that you liked it! The next chapter has Jack in it! Yay! The faster it'll come the more reviews I get. Please? I do deserve some! I should be working on a biography report but decided to do this instead, just for you!**

**~~Upisdowngirl~~**


	10. Chapter 10: Isla Pelegotos

Chapter 10: Isla Pelegostos

**This is a late Valentine's Day present! Thanks to my reviewers: XantheXV and esinger! You make my day! Without you, I wouldn't have motivation to keep going! I love you guys!**

You know that feeling that you get when you know that you are going to die? Or when you know something that will change your fate is about to happen? Or even that feeling of fear when you don't know what's going to happen next? Well, imagine all three of those fears tied together with anger at your big brother William Turner, and you'll know exactly how I felt.

I was being lead by two very large, very painted men. I was behind Will, who was a bit...tied up at the moment. His hands and ankles were bound to a large bamboo pole and he was unconscious. I hope. Two more men carried the pole over their shoulders.

I looked around me to see more native people. And lots of twig houses. These people seemed interesting, but I wondered what they wanted with me. I was of no importance to these people, and Will was only important to...well, let's face it, only to Elizabeth.

I decided to be a good little prisoner and let the two men lead me away very civilly. I did not want to cause a scene. Yet. I did, however, stop walking and swallow nervously as I looked at a long wooden bridge in front of me. I turned to the man on my right, "Um, is that safe?"

The man grunted and pushed me forward to keep me walking. I stumbled and stepped onto the bridge, gasping in fear that it would break under my weight and I would be sent plummeting to my death.

I did not fall, thankfully.

I _was_, however, quite nervous during the entire walk over the bridge. I kept glancing down, (which in hindsight, was not a very good idea), and walked like a stiff board.

I smiled slightly, only one more step and-

There. I was off that awful bridge. Suddenly, the large party of natives stopped walking. I could not see ahead of the people so I didn't know what was going on. All that I heard were words in a language that I had never heard before. However, I _did _see my brother slowly lift his head as he became conscious. Well then, so he wasn't dead.

X

"Jack?" he whispered, barely intelligible. So much so that I almost believed that he had not just said-

"Jack Sparrow?" He said much louder. Oh. He _had _said Jack's name. But why? I craned my neck to see, but was pulled away by my captors. I sighed.

"I can honestly say that I am glad to see you," Will called out. I rolled my eyes, still believing that Will was delusional. Jack wasn't here. Was he?

"Jack, it's me! Will Turner!" Will called out once more. I balled my fists, wishing that I knew what was going on.

"Pase ko," I heard, without a doubt, Jack's voice say. My ears strained to hear what was going on, but I realized that Jack was speaking that natives' tongue. The natives responded, including the two holding me.

"Tell them to let me down!" Will called out. I glared at his back. He did not mention me! Why not? He should! After all, he nearly killed me, not even a day ago!

"Kelay lum. Lum piki piki, lum eenise weensie." I heard Jack call out.

What language was he speaking?

"Lum say say, eunuchy, snip snip." I laughed quietly. Will was most definitely not pleased by that comment. All the natives looked at each other, repulsed.

"Jack! The compass! That's all I need! Elizabeth is in danger!"

I grimaced. Funny how Will conveniently left me out, isn't it?

"Jack, we were arrested for helping you! She faces the gallows!"

My lord! Will he ever shut it?

"Snay say sha, smomy lama shuku. Savvy? Bon liki liki."

All the tribal people shouted back, "Bon liki liki!" They then marched off with Will. Some part of me worried about what would happen to my brother. However, the larger part of me was still quite annoyed that he left me out. Again. Will kept shouting for Jack, and when he saw me, he shouted my name as well. I smiled and waved at my brother.

Then the two men walked forward with me. My smile dropped and I stumbled, being caught off guard.

One of the men called out something in another language and Jack stopped moving. He had his back turned to me. He turned around and his eyes found mine immediately. His eyes were swimming with worry and he looked at me a second more before turning back to the man that had spoken, and replied to him.

Suddenly, the two men let me go, but one of them held up the pearl necklace around my neck, then said something. Jack stepped forward and took the necklace in his own hand. His eyes were scanning the markings on the beads.

I studied his face, which was painted in different colors, like the natives'. He also had three sets of eyes painted on his face, one of which were on his eyelids. He slowly lifted his eyes to mine, "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Will dragged me along," I whispered back. Something was wrong, but I didn't know what. He tentatively lifted a hand to brush my cheek before he turned swiftly to face the natives. He said something in that infernal language and then he turned back to me. "Do what they want," he whispered quickly before turning away and walking to his throne.

I nodded as a woman walked toward me. She held out her hand and I took It warily, not knowing what was going on. The woman smiled and bowed her head before she led me away to an another area somewhere behind Jack's thrown. I looked back at Jack, worriedly. What was going on?

**Five reviews and I'll update tomorrow. ;D**


	11. Chapter 11: Isla Pelegostos Part 2

Chapter 11: Isla Pelegostos Part 2 **OR** Jack, You're An Idiot! (Whichever title you prefer)

**Okay. I am SO incredibly sorry. I am a block. I am a stone. I am a saucy fellow. I am a worse then senseless thing. (Those are insults that I learned because in school we are currently reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. I really truly am sorry though! I was busy, the lazy, then busy. And I've had writer's block. I was also quite nervous on how to present the 'Jack and Alice are together again' chapter. I really am sorry, so I hope that this EXTRA long chapter will be worth the horrible wait.**

**IMPORTANT! (PLEASE READ!): Most of you will notice that this is under the pen name of Eponine Sparrow. I am the same person who started this series. Yes this is formally UPISDOWNGIRL! I just have a different name now.)**

* * *

I followed the woman nervously to a secluded spot a little ways away from Jack's 'throne'. The woman motioned for me to sit on the ground and I did. Three other women came to where we were and looked at me suspiciously. The woman that had led them here scowled at them and pointed at my beads. I was started to think that maybe, just maybe, that man had been trying to kill me by giving me these damn beads.

Suddenly, the first woman grabbed my shoulders. I jumped in fear wondering how much longer I had before I would die.

Obviously I'm a bit melodramatic. The woman simply pushed me onto a rock, which I guessed was supposed to be a 'chair.' She then summoned the two other women over to me. They then began to paint my face. It was a strange feeling, and I bit my lip so that I would not laugh at how much it tickled. I figured that these people really didn't have a sense of humor. When the two women finished, I opened my eyes warily. The first woman held up a dainty-looking silver mirror with lots of filigree. I shivered, wondering _how _she had gotten the mirror.

I had green lines on my cheeks and small blue dots, like freckles, underneath the lines. My eyelids were both completely purple and I had a yellow line going down from my hairline at the middle of my face, to the middle of my nose. I smiled at the woman since I did not know her language, and also because I feared what would happen if I did not show appreciation for my new 'makeup.'

"Um...thank you.." I tried, but alas (as I expected) she could not understand me. She took my hand and pulled me to my feet roughly. These women were strong! The woman led back to the throne and I stepped cautiously around a pile of what appeared to be...human bones!

I swallowed a large lump in my throat and looked up at Jack, rolling my eyes. His expression was unreadable, but I'm quite sure that there was a light smirk fighting to be shown.

The woman let go of my hand and said something to Jack who nodded and replied. I sighed, irritated that I could not understand. Soon, the woman walked away and only Jack and I were left looking at each other. I simply stood before him, not knowing what to do. Jack sighed and finally broke his impassive mask.

"Alice."

"Jack." This was slightly awkward, considering that the last time I had seen him, we'd been in a jail cell in Port Royal, and the only goodbye I left him was a letter that I had entrusted Will to give to him.

Jack smiled and stood in front of me, placing a hand gently on both of my shoulders, "What are you doing here?"

I smirked, "My brother's an idiot. It's a long story, so can we leave it at that?"

Jack smirked, "For now."

I cracked a smile before becoming serious once more, "What's going on?"

Jack frowned and grabbed my forearm gently. He sat back on the throne and I looked at him dumbly. Jack rolled his eyes and pulled me onto his lap. I let out a small, surprised gasp. "What the-"

Jack quickly put a finger to my lips and silenced me. "I'll tell you what's going on, but you have to play along."

I nodded and Jack removed his finger.

"We sailed to this island, not knowing exactly what island it was. It is Isla de Pelegostos."

I paled, "The...the cannibal island?"

Jack nodded, "Aye."

"You idiot!" I whisper-yelled.

Jack shook his head at me and continued, "The Pelegostos already believe that I am their chief. They think that you are their queen."

"Why?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

Jack lifted my beads slightly, "These."

I grimaced. "Well...that is...pretty bad."

Jack nodded, "They plan to release me by eating me-"

"Ew!"

Jack nodded and I noticed that he had paled as well. "Then the well probably do the same to you."

I frowned even more, "Jack this is bad. _Really _bad."

Jack nodded.

Suddenly, a horrific thought occurred to me, "Jack, where are the others!?"

Jack refused to meet my eyes, "Some of them are safe...for now. But the others..."

I gasped and hid my face in his chest, "Ana?"

Jack hesitantly, almost as if he were afraid that I would disappear, wrapped an arm around me, "She's fine, Alice."

I looked up at him quickly, "And Marty? Gibbs? Cotton?" with each name, I grew even more worried about my old friends.

"They're okay," Jack assured me. I nodded once and let out a breath that I had not realized I'd been holding.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, "If you're the chief, and I'm the queen, then...are we supposed to be...uh...you know..." I trailed off nervously.

Jack nodded, "Yes, so pretend you like me."

I smiled and slapped him playfully on the chest, "I already _like _you, Sparrow. You're just an idiot."

Jack smiled slightly, "You called me that already."

I nodded and frowned again, worried. We sat in silence for a long while, neither of us feeling the need to fill the empty air with talking. Besides, what was there to say?

* * *

I opened my eyes at the sound of people approaching, Jack did the same. I had completely lost track of the time. How long had it been? An hour? Two? Or only a few minutes? Time had slipped away from me. I looked around myself fearfully, until I realized that the sun was still in the middle of the sky, marking that only a few minutes had passed and it was still midday. I sighed with relief and turned to Jack.

"Jack," I whispered.

"Hm?" He looked down at me, as I was still sitting lightly upon his lap.

"You're an idiot."

Jack grimaced, "After a whole year, that's all you're gonna say to me?" he asked playfully, but I sensed a slight tenseness in his light-hearted words. Yes, we did have some things that we should discuss. _If _we ever got the hell out of here.

I smiled slightly, "No. But really, Jack. This was a bad idea."

"I know."

We were interrupted as two younger native cannibals approached Jack. They bowed to him and then placed something around his neck. They then bowed to me before turning and going back to the larger group of natives that were dancing around and chanting.

"Thank you," Jack called after the two, even though they did not turn back.

I raised an eyebrow, curiously, "What is it?"

Jack lifted it up and I gagged. It was a strand of human toes. "T..t..toes? It's a necklace of toes?" I wiggled mine, warily checking that mine were still there. Thank God; they were.

He looked at it hesitantly before stretching one toe up to his lips. He took a small bite.

"Oh my lord," I whispered in horror.

Jack suddenly spit it out, and I felt slightly faint. "That...that is absolutely revolting."

Jack's face was impassive, "I spit it out."

"You are horrifically disgusting."

"I spit it out, Alice," Jack reminded me, slightly annoyed.

"But really, Jack. What on earth possessed you to...I mean...oh my lord." I couldn't even form the words.

"I spit it out Alice Elianore Turner!" Jack whispered furiously.

I took a shaky breath and collected myself. I looked out at the chanting cannibals. "What are they doing?" I asked Jack.

Jack did not speak for a moment. When he did, his voice was quiet, "They're building a fire to roast and eat me. You're probably next."

My eyes widened, "Well, count on Captain Sparrow to be blunt." I lied. Jack is never blunt. _Never. _He always twists his words around elegantly, and madly to confuse all those around him. He's never blunt. If anything, he's vague. But not now. Now he's quite forward.

Jack said nothing for a moment, a calculating look in his eye. I sighed. If Jack had a plan, we would be safe.

Then suddenly, he grabbed my arm and threw me off his lap before jumping up himself and waving his arms around, shouting, "Oi! No, no! Oi! No, no!"

I steadied myself, quite confused. What was he doing?

""More wood!" He called.

What? WHAT!? More wood?

"Big fire! _Big _fire! More wood! I am chief; want big fire! Come on!"

He turned back to the two cannibals that were standing behind his throne. Hm. Funny, I hadn't noticed them at all.

He called out to them in their language and motioned for them to join the others. They jumped up and ran over to help the others build the fire.

He then turned and grabbed my forearm tightly before rushing off. I gasped in pain. All this movement in a gown and corset and killing me!

"Jack!" I called, trying to get him to slow down. But he did not, he only tightened his grip on my arm, and I had no choice but to run after him. We ran onto a rope bridge and I paled, horrified that it would snap and we would be plummeting to our deaths. I kept running as he pulled me through jungle and more jungle, and everything became a large green blur. Suddenly, we approached a cliff and I screamed, knowing that we would fall off.

Jack slammed his heels into the ground and locked his arm, which jerked me violently to a stop, but did not let me fall off the cliff. He turned around and ran over to a large bamboo pole and let go of my arm, in order to pick it up. I rubbed my arm to soothe the red fingermarks on my hand that were beginning to bruise. Jack then dropped the pole and ran into a small hut. I followed him inside.

I looked up and saw bloodied knives, hatchets, and other sharp things hanging from the ceiling. I gagged and looked around the rest of the room. There many things around it that made me wonder just how many unfortunates came here and died.

Jack searched the whole room before picking up a loop of rope. I eyed it curiously, but said nothing. He turned to leave, but stopped himself, something catching his eye.

"What is it Jack?"

He gingerly picked up a can of paprika and turned it over. It read "East India Company." I paled, remembering the voyage with Beckett. He then turned to me and looped his arm through mine.

"It's nothing love. It's just that-" he stopped himself as he looked up and saw that all of the cannibals were surrounding us. He dropped my arm and exclaimed, "Oh bugger!"

He then uncapped the paprika and shook some on each of his armpits. He laughed nervously, "A little seasoning," he offered. The cannibals were not at all amused.

* * *

I grimaced in pain as I struggled against my bounds. My hands were tied in front of my, and my middle was tied to a tree. I stood facing Jack, who was quite worse off. Jack was completely tied to a pole which was raised over a stack of hay and sticks. "Well done," he called out to himself sarcastically.

"You will be," I smirked at the not-actually-funny-at-all joke that I had made; Jack, was obviously not as amused.

Suddenly, a painted man ran up to Jack and exclaimed, "Oh! Fie fie!" His proclamation was repeated by the people. he then lifted a torch to the hay beneath Jack. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see this. Suddenly, I heard a new voice calling out, though I kept m eyes shut tightly. I then heard Jack call back to them, "Well, go on, go get them!" I then opened my eyes. The cannibals were all running off. I struggled against my binds again, but to no avail. I then noticed that the one cannibal had dropped his lit torch. Which lit the hay beneath Jack. I closed my eyes tight and thrashed wildly against my binds. I had to get free! I had to! I could not see someone else burn to death!

I continued to thrash wildly, before I heard Jack's voice, "Alice, stop!"

I looked up at his face, "Jack!" He was free from the now blazing inferno, but he was still tied to the pole. I smiled, "Jack!"

He frowned, "I'll come back, hold on!"

"Wait. What? No! Jack? Jack! JACK! Jack! You get back here! JACK!" My voice cracked as I screamed for him. Where was he going? Why would he leave me? Suddenly, I felt hands grab my shoulders.

"STOP!" Jack commanded. I silenced myself as Jack, whose hands were now free, took the rope from my middle, leaving my free to move about, but my hands were still bound.

"Thanks!" I called, breathlessly. Jack was still tied to the pole though, and he ran off, motioning for me to follow. We ran on yet another rope bridge before coming to a cliff. Jack struggled with the ropes that secured him (Which I would have helped him with, had my hands not been tied. Literally.) and he looked up to see that a young boy was staring at him curiously, holding a fork and knife. Jack's eyes lit up and he grabbed the knife from the boy and began sawing at the ropes.

"Jack, cut mine first so that I can untie you," I offered, but he ignored me. I pouted furiously. Why did men always ignore me when they should heed me!?

Jack then looked up to see two women staring at him. "Ha, told you," I taunted.

Jack ran at the two, screaming and they moved, causing his pole to strike a coconut. Jack sighed and flung the coconut back in the direction of the two women, which unfortunately, I was in the path of. I shrieked and ducked, the coconut barely missing me. The woman had caught the coconut and she was definitely NOT happy. the two women had began to throw fruit at Jack and many fruits lodged themselves onto both sides of his pole. "Jack!" I cried, "Stop this madness!"

"STOP IT!" He finally shouted, causing the two women to cease fire. I stared at him angrily, quite upset that he had started a fruit war.

"Jack, you're such an idiot!" I cried. He then started running at me and my eyes widened. What was he planning to...

Jack wrapped his arms around me quickly and flung himself off the cliff, causing us to flip multiple times in the air, me screaming the entire time. Suddenly, I felt land beneath my feet again.

"Oh sweet land!" I cried. I turned to face him, "Jack! What the hell was that?"

He began to answer, but the fruit caused him to fall backwards. before he had completely fallen off the cliff, he looped my bound hands around his neck and he tightened an arm around my waist.

I paled in fear, "Jack, no. Jack! JA-"

I was cut off as I fell off the cliff, attached to Jack. I screamed in horror and fear as we plummeted down. Suddenly, the pole got stuck between two cliffs. My screams heightened as Jack's rope loosened and he dropped lower, causing me to fall. He jerked to a stop and grabbed my right wrist before I could fall. I stopped screaming and looked up at Jack.

Jack was hanging by his foot, upside-down from the pole, and only his iron grip kept me from plummeting to my death. My breathing was uneasy and my heart beat violently against my chest. "Jack!" I gasped. "Swear to me that we will NEVER be in this position ever again!"

Jack's breathing was harsh as well, "Promise!"

"Jack, you're an-"

"IDIOT!" he finished, "I know!"

"Good."

"Bugger."

"What?" I asked, but was greeting by Jack screaming and another free fall, because the rope snapped. I screamed in fear and in pain as we kept crashing through bridges.

"Jack!" I shrieked.

"I!"

Crash.

"Hate!"

Crash.

"You!"

We plummeted to earth and I fell hard on the ground. I groaned in pain as my head cracked against a rock. Jack landed slightly on top of me and I screamed in more pain. I opened my eyes, and blurrily saw the pole coming down towards us. I closed my eyes in fear, but the pole landed in-between our heads, barely missing us.

I groaned and the world was spinning. "Jack, get your heavy body OFF OF ME!" I yelled, shakily. Jack did as I asked, but I however, did not get up.

"Alice?"

I groaned in pain. Jack leant over me and his dark eyes were full of concern. He gently put his hand to my head and I gasped. "You're bleeding."

I sighed. Great. JUST great. I almost drown, and then I get a concussion. Terrific day.

"Okay," I replied. Jack pulled out a knife and cut off the ropes on my hands. He then slid his arms carefully around my waist before lifting me up, so that I was sitting. The world blurred around me. I rested my head in Jack's neck as he embrace me carefully, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"We are alive," I whispered.

"Aye." Jack studied my head wound before asking, "Can you stand?"

Jack reached out a hand and helped me shakily to my feet.

"Very good," Jack smiled. "Now can you walk? I can't fix that nasty cut until we're back on the _Pearl._"

I took a carefully step, and then another. Soon, I was walking, though slightly wobbly. Jack's face turned fearful, "Can you run?"

"What?"

Jack grabbed my hand and started running. I looked over my shoulder to see that the entire island's population was chasing us. Finally, we reached the beach. I could see Will waving at us. I kept running, however, stumbling would probably be the more correct word.

Suddenly, about 20 feet from the ship, I finally lost my balance and tumbled to the sand. Jack jerked me up and scooped me in his arms, all while running, and screaming. Finally, Jack reached the sea and he jumped through the waves. A dog barked at us, before running at the cannibals. "Good doggy!" Jack cried.

"Hey! Wasn't that the-" I was cut off as Jack shoved me at the rope latter of the _Pearl. _I clung to it while Jack addressed the cannibals.

"Alas my children, this is the day that you will always remember as the day that you-"

I huge wave crashed over us, causing me to almost lose my grip and for Jack to lose his bravado. "-Captain Jack Sparrow and Alice Turner," he finished half-heartedly.

Hm, I wonder what he was going to say. Jack scrambled to the top of the latter and reached down a hand. "Come on!"

I struggled to grasp his hand. My wet gown was pulling my down, but Jack was strong and was able to pull me over the railing of his ship. We crashed onto the deck and I looked up at Jack's blurry face.

"Jack. You. Are. An. Idiot."

* * *

**Okay, I was really worried about this chapter. To be entirely honest, I'm not quite sure if I'm very happy about it. PLEASE review and leave your feedback, it helps me to write (hopefully better.) Please REVIEW! **

**Love you guys!**

**~Eponine**


	12. Chapter 12: A Long Year

Chapter 12: A Long Year

**Hello! How have you all been? Had a good spring break? Well I did! :) I'd like to thank XantheXV and singer for their lovely loyal reviews! They make my day! Also, thank you to all who have favorited and followed me! (Yep! I know you guys are there! So thanks!) On with the chapter!**

* * *

This time I had landed on top of Jack and not the other way around. I gasped in relief and rested my head against Jack's chest.

"We made it," I whispered.

I felt Jack start to sit up and pull me into a sitting position as well, "Yes we did, Alice."

I smiled and leaned back against the rail of the ship as Jack stood, drunkenly. Mr. Gibbs approached him and Cotton draped Jack's coat around his shoulders.

"Let's put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea," Mr. Gibbs suggested.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only insofar as we keep to the shallows as much as possible," Jack replied. Wait. Had that even been more than one suggestion?

"That seems a bit contradictory Captain," Gibbs continued as Jack looked warily at...hey...was that Pintel and Ragetti?

"I have faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Mr. Gibbs. Now where is that monkey, I want to shoot something!" Jack dismissed Gibbs. Suddenly a wooden eye fell from the sky. I looked up to see that Jack the monkey had dropped it. That mangy thing was still alive? Damn. Jack looked at me expectantly, like he _really _wanted to talk to me. He took a step toward me, when Will approached Jack and began talking. I sighed in irritation.

"Miss Shadow?" a tentative voice asked. I looked up to see Ragetti standing before me.

I smiled slightly, "Yes, however, I am not the Shadow Pirate anymore. You can just call me Alice."

Ragetti nodded and extended his hand, "I think you need some help Miss Alice."

I thankfully took his hand and stood, wobbling slightly. The stupid dress was sopping wet and was weighing me down greatly. The corset was definitely not comfortable to wear either. "Thank you, and just call me Alice, please," I smiled at Ragetti and put a hand to my painfully throbbing head.

"You might want to get that looked at Mi- um, Alice."

I nodded and walked up to Jack and Will, who were now at the helm. Will had a sword at Jack's neck. What was going on? I walked quickly up to the pair and grabbed the sword from Will's hand. It felt heavy and wrong in my hand. I was too out of practice, I suppose.

"Will!" I gasped, the corset doing absolutely nothing to help me, and screaming in it earlier had definitely been a bad idea. Will and Jack were both looking at me now.

"What is your problem today? Really! Where is your head!" I shouted angrily at Will.

"Mr. Gibbs, we have a need to travel up river." Jack whispered worriedly.

"By need to you mean a trifling need? Fleeting, as in a passing fancy?" Gibbs asked hopefully.

"No, a resolute and unyielding need."

Gibbs' face fell and I put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with shock, "Alice?"

I smiled, "Yes indeed."

He pulled me into a large bear hug, "Oh Alice, we never thought we'd ever see ya again!"

I smiled at him, "Nor I, you."

Gibbs stopped suddenly, "Was that too improper? For a former first mate to be hugging his former captain?"

I shook my head and grimaced at the memory, "No Gibbs, it is perfectly fine."

Gibbs nodded and a smile tugged at his lips, "I'm glad yer back."

"I as well."

I turned to see Jack showing Will a piece of cloth.

"You want you to find this. Because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and or locating in your discovering a way to save your dolly belle, oh, what's her face. Savvy?" Jack was telling Will.

What?

"_This _is going to save Elizabeth?" Will asked suspiciously.

"Oh get off it! Are you really thinking about her again?" I exclaimed at him.

He rolled his eyes and looked back at Jack. "How much do you know about Davy Jones?" Jack asked Will.

Davy Jones? What did _he _have to do with Eliza-bitch? (And I do believe I said that correctly.)

"Not much," Will admitted.

"Yeah, it's gonna save Elizabeth." Jack pronounced her name wrong! Jack looked back at me expectantly and opened his mouth, but he was cut off with a large smack.

Oh, the smack was not for him, but for Will.

"WHAT ON EARTH HAS EATEN YOUR BRAIN YOU IDIOT! HOW COULD YA NOT THINK TO TELL ME THAT MY BEST FRIEND WAS ON THAT BLOODY DAMN ISLAND! DAMN YOU WILLIAM TURNER!" I laughed as Will got slapped again by a VERY angry Anamaria.

"I uh..." Will was stunned into silence.

"You what?" Ana asked. "You didn't think! All you care about is stupid little Eliza-bitch Swann! No one cares about her but you! And if you don't start looking after your little sister, you'll lose her! You moron!"

All Will could say was, "Her name is Elizabeth!"

"Actually, no. I do believe that Ana said your stupid fiancé's name correctly." I pointed out. Jack laughed at Will's expression.

"You're my sister! You should be on my side!" he wined.

"That was before you nearly drowned me! And conveniently forget to mention to anyone that I am here!" I shouted angrily.

Will looked down in fear as Jack's eyes flashed with anger.

Ana grabbed my arm and wrapped me in a hug, "Alice! I missed you so much! I'm so sorry! What happened with Ashwood?" she asked me.

I struggled for breath, "Cannot breathe!"

Ana let me go quickly and a sad look flashed across her face, "I'm sorry."

I felt bad now, "Hey, Ana, come on, let us catch up!" She smiled and took hold of my hand, turning to leave, she flashed Will a death-glare.

* * *

"So, that's pretty much all that's happened on the _Pearl,_" Ana concluded.

I nodded, well, you had a better year than I did. Ana frowned and urged me to go on.

"Beckett wants me to marry him."

Ana's mouth opened in horror.

"Ashwood whipped me again."

It opened even wider.

"James visited me." I decided to leave out all the gory details.

"How...what...why..." Ana struggled for words.

"It's been a long, lonely year, Ana."

"I can see that."

"I really am glad to be back here though," I smiled. Ana nodded. Suddenly the door opened abruptly.

"Oi! I thought I made it clear that if any of ya came into my cabin, I'd personally chop off-" she stopped herself when she saw that it was Jack.

She turned deep red and looked down, "Sorry Captain."

Jack chuckled, "Well, glad to know that Ana hasn't lost her spirit! I need to borrow Alice though."

I stood and walked over to Jack, "See you in a while, Ana." I followed Jack outside of Ana's cabin. As soon as the door was closed we both started laughing.

* * *

**Sorry everyone. I know that this chapter's not very long, but next chapter will be VERY interesting. It will also include Tia Dalma and another angry Ana.**

**If I get five reviews on this chapter. (Just five! I beg of you!) I will update again tomorrow. Please? I just love hearing from people. it helps me to know what people think or if they have any ideas.**

**Bye dearies!**

**~Eponine**


	13. Chapter 13: Reunion

Chapter 13: Reunion

**I'd like to thank XantheXV, Guest, and Carly fro reviewing the last chapter! Your reviews are what keep me going, so thank you!**

* * *

"Well...Ana definitely has some spirit on her!" I exclaimed.

Jack laughed, "Aye, that she does." Jack guided me up on deck. Will ran toward us screaming about Eliza-bitch, but Jack ignored him and led me into his cabin. Jack gently shut and locked the door behind me, before turning to face me slowly, a look of something that I did not recognize swimming in his eyes. He stepped in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders gently. He hesitated a moment before asking, "So how has your side healed up?"

I laughed at the odd, random question; that was Jack, "All healed. Thanks to you."

"Well...good."

I pondered his expression before sighing, "I know that you want to ask me something Jack Sparrow, so on with it." I gestured for him to speak.

Jack nodded, "Alice, what the bloody hell were you thinking?" He asked gently, wrapping his arms around me in an embrace.

"I did not get a say in the matter, I'm afraid."

Jack looked me in the eyes, "You didn't wake me up," he stated, accusingly, his eyes crinkling at the edges in sadness, "You didn't say goodbye."

I sighed and leaned my head against his chest, "It would have been too difficult. I could not say goodbye when Lord Ashwood was there anyway."

Jack said nothing. He let go of me and turned toward his desk. I held my breath nervously as he rummaged through the drawers. I hadn't seen him in this cabin since...

I closed my eyes, dismissing the thought. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up into the brown eyes of Jack. He looked worried about me.

"You left me your ring"

I smiled slightly, "Yes, I did, didn't I? What ever did you do with it?"

Jack looked worried for a moment, "I..um, left it at Isla de Muerta. You said the Shadow Pirate was gone, so I thought that-"

I silenced him, putting a finger to his lips, "You were right. That was what I wanted."

Jack smiled, "I had thought so." Jack's smile dropped and he took my hand and led me to sit on his bed. He sat beside me, and all traces of happiness had fled his expression.

"Jack, what-" I was cut off as Jack held up a piece of parchment out to me. I grabbed the wrinkles note and looked at it. It was the letter that I had given Will to give to him. It was crumpled, which implied that Jack had read it several times. I looked up at his face, which was impassive.

"You left me this."

"I know."

He leaned a bit closer, "Why? Why did you leave like that? This note...this note is so..." he groped for the right word, "cryptic."

I only nodded, quite unwilling to tell Jack that Lord Cutler Beckett was back and that he also wanted to marry me. I looked down nervously, yet I could still feel Jack's unyielding, piercing eyes. I cleared my throat, "Jack, really I-"

He snatched the paper back quickly before shaking it angrily in my face, "This, this is all you left me!"

"Jack, really, I-"

He cut me off again, "No! Alice, damn it, listen to me! You left me this little note, which told me nothing! Nothing! I have spent the past year knowing nothing!"

"I am sorry, Jack, but it was not your burden to bear!" I countered angrily. He had me all steamed now.

"But I did bear it, didn't I?" He yelled back.

I shrank back at his anger slightly, "Jack, I am sorry, truly, I am."

His face softened, "I know Alice, I know." He frowned, "You hurt your head."

I smirked, "I wonder how that happened."

Jack reciprocated my expression and turned to get a cloth and a bottle of rum. Before I could protest, he dumped rum on the cloth and pushed it gently, yet firmly onto my injured head. I hissed in pain while Jack cleaned up the wound. He looked into my tear-filled eyes, "Sorry love." I nodded and closed my eyes tight, my mind drifting away to something that didn't hurt. Or at least, not as much.

James. He wasn't a commodore anymore, and I certainly didn't see him in Port Royal, but where else would he have gone? He surely wouldn't have stayed in England, would he? No, he wasn't an idiot. But then where could he be?

"Love? Alice!" I was shaken away from my train of thought by Jack who was, well, actually shaking me, snapping me out of it. I looked up at him startled and he flashed me a cheeky grin, "All done, love." I nodded and then looked back at my lap, putting my head in my hands.

"Alice?"

I looked back up at him, my face a stony mask, "I'm fine." I could not even think about asking him about James Norrington. The very man that admitted to me that he had been hunting Jack down. The very man that came to visit me. The very man that I almost married...

"I've just been feeling strange lately," I smiled, hoping that that had been a good enough cover. He nodded and sat next to me, nervous. Actually, Jack Sparrow seemed...scared. Scared? What on God's green earth could make Captain Jack Sparrow scared?

"You are wasting the rum," I pointed out, hoping to take away that scared look from his eyes. That look unsettled me.

His eyes flickered to mine and he smiled a bit, "No I'm not, see?" He took a long swig from the bottle before setting it down. I laughed at his apparent addiction. His eyes returned to that of a person about to be shot. Well...any _normal _person, if they were about to be shot.

"Jack-" I started, but he turned away from me quickly after seeing the expression on his face.

"D-don't ask me Alice." He spoke harshly. Now I knew that something was most definitely wrong.

"Jack?"

I received no reply.

"_Jack_," I stressed.

He turned quickly and slammed his fist on his desk. His entire manner screamed angry, yet his eyes were still scared. "Just drop it, damn it, Alice!"

My eyes flickered to his hand which was wrapped up in a cloth. Odd. "I will not, Jack! Stop acting like a-"

"Pirate?" He snapped, "'Cause I am one! Unlike you! What the bloody hell happened to you in England that makes you think you can do whatever you want?"

What? What on earth was Jack going on about?

"What are you talking about Jack?" I asked, to distract him. I only needed to...

There.

I had snatched his hand. He stopped ranting mid-sentence. He just looked at me warily before sitting down on the bed. I sat down beside him and turned his hand over. Jack flinched, but did not remove his hand from mine. I looked up at him, asking permission. He barely nodded before closing his eyes.

I grasped one end of the cloth and untied it from Jack's hand, and removed it. And gasped.

I'm not exactly sure what I had been expecting. A bloody gash? A bullet hole? Another brand? Nothing could have prepared me for what was really there. The black spot.

"The black spot." My voice was laced with fear.

Jack opened his eyes and looked at me, "Yes."

"Jack, how did you get this?" I queried, feeling slightly faint.

"Davy Jon-"

"Don't say his name!" I hissed. "I know who gave it to you, I was asking why?"

Jack looked at me guiltily. "After the _Wench _sank, I made a deal with Jon-" He corrected himself, "Him. He would raise the _Wench _and I would be her captain for ten years, then," he swallowed nervously and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Then when the ten years were up, he would sink the ship and I would work on the _Flying Dutchman _for 100 years."

I gasped in horror, "Jack! How could you have made a deal like that? That's so stupid!"

"You're just upset 'cause it didn't bring back Aria!"

I froze in pain, my face twisting up painfully. My heart ached. "How dare you," I whispered calmly, yet deadly. "You are actually defending your decisions when you have the black spot upon your hand?"

Jack bowed his head, "I'm sorry, love, that was uncalled for."

I nodded, "Jack, you really are an idiot."

He sighed, "I know Alice."

Suddenly, another thought occurred to me, "Jack, the kraken will be after us."

Jack froze in fear and nodded, "Me. It's coming for me."

I tied the cloth back on his hand before grasping both of his hands tightly, "Do not worry Jack. We will find a way."

"I hope so love."

He smiled before gasping, "Oh! I forgot!"

"What?"

"This, milady, I believe belongs to you." He reached under his vest and pulled out a silver chain. Upon further inspection, I realized that it was my locket. He put it in my hand gently, "I kept it free, for you...for Aria."

I nodded, tears in my eyes, "Thank you Jack Sparrow," I whispered.

"Captain actually-" he was cut off as I leaped into his arms, embracing him.

"Oi! You're welcome love," he chuckled huskily. I laid my head on his chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

We were cut off as Gibbs came in breathlessly, "Cap'n, we're here."

"Damn it Gibbs! I'm busy!" Jack snapped.

* * *

**Well, I am incredibly sorry for the wait! I have been absolutely, insanely busy! Sorry! I hope you thought that Jack and Alice's reunion was alright. I was quite nervous about it. I don't want them to progress to quickly. And I am sorry that there is not angry Ana or Tia. BUT Tia will be here next chapter. Angry Ana will be here soon, and often. ;) Please review, I love knowing what you think of Jack and Alice, and Ana, Will, Elizabeth, and all the rest! **

**Love you all!**

**~Eponine :)**


	14. Chapter 14: An Interesting Visit

Chapter 14: An Interesting Visit

* * *

I laughed at Jack's irked expression. I looked down suddenly and realized with dismay that I was still wearing this stupid gown. Corset included.

"Is it really that difficult for your mutton-chopped brain to process that when I am talking to someone privately in me cabin, it's best for you to knock before entering!?" Jack ranted. I felt bad for poor Gibbs. No one should have to face the whole of Jack's anger.

Gibbs froze for a moment before spluttering out, "Sorry Cap'n, but we don't want to keep _her _waiting."

I shivered. Whoever _her _was, she worried me a little.

Jack rolled his dark eyes at his _SECOND _mate. Because I am the first, of course. "Aye Gibbs, we'll not keep 'er waiting. Come Alice," he held his hand out to me. I noticed warily that it wasn't the hand with the black spot. _That _hand was somewhat nonchalantly placed behind his back. I scoffed and stood.

"No need to pretend to be gentlemanly."

Jack frowned, "What? I can't be a gentleman?"

I put my hands on my hips and mocked, "Love, I am a pirate. A pirate who is completely in love with rum."

Jack did not find it amusing. "I am not!" he protested childishly.

"Are too!"

"Not!"

"Are!"

Jack smirked cleverly, "Are NOT!"

"Whatever," I waved the subject away.

"And I do NOT sound like that!" he whined.

"I think you do," I grinned devilishly.

He sighed loudly, "Come on Alice!"

I shrugged, "Alright."

As I strode for the door I heard a voice shout, "And gentlemanly isn't a word!"

I turned, "It is so!"

"Is not!"

I walked over to Jack's bookshelf and rummaged through the books, quickly scanning the spines for what I wanted. "Aha!" I handed- well, to be honest, actually I sort of threw the book at Jack. He caught it and narrowed his eyes. "Look it up," I commanded.

He thumbed through the pages silently before stopping and scanning a page. He glared at the book and threw it on the desk, "Fine. Let's just go."

I sighed in triumph, "Jack, you know you can't win a word duel with me." He shot me a glare and continued out the door, Gibbs trailing behind us, clearly amused. We walked out on deck when I remembered something. I was still wearing this stupid dress! Ugh!

"Jack, I am going to ask Ana if she has any clothes I can borrow." I motioned to my sea-stained, heavy, stupid, corseted gown. He nodded and went to instruct the crew on something. I do believe that he was still angry about losing that little word battle. Ha ha! I turned and went down a set of stairs below deck. I stood for a moment, enjoying being back on this ship. I hadn't been on it in quite a long time! Well, since Barbossa, a year, but I meant with Jack as the captain. I smiled and continued to Ana's cabin. I knocked on the door gently.

"Who is it?" Ana gruffly yelled.

"The absolute best friend on the entire planet!" I called back, laughter in my voice. The door opened abruptly.

"Hello there best friend," Ana called sweetly to me. I laughed and walked into her cabin.

"Do you have any clothes that I could borrow-"

"You mean keep." She smirked at me.

"Yes," I rolled my eyes, "To _keep, _since all I have is the awful thing!" I laughed bitterly.

Ana rummaged through her dresser, mumbling to herself. She sighed, irritated, "I've got nothing! We haven't stopped at a port in awhile."

I grimaced, "It's alright Ana, I'll just...make do." She put a hand on my shoulder, "It'll be fine Ali, just fine. Now let's go meet _her._" I followed Ana out on deck. I looked over to see that Jack had already ordered the crew into the long boats. Will was making his way over to me. What could he possibly want now?

"Alice, I want to apologize for-"

"What?" I feigned surprise, "William Turner the second actually wanted to apologize to his younger sister, Alice Turner? What a shocker! I never thought that he would have cared enough to do so."

Will looked hurt and I did feel slightly bad. He cleared his throat. "I want to apologize for everything. Really. I just get so caught up with Elizabeth that I sometimes forget about family. You're my first priority, and I'll try to be a better brother to you."

Wow. I did not expect that! "Thank you Will," I smiled sincerely and he turned to get into a long boat. I turned to Anamaria, "Did you put him up to that Ana?"

"No," she protested. She thought for a moment. "I may have used a few harsh phrases and words after you went to converse with Jack...but I didn't tell him to do that."

"Hmm," I smiled, "Maybe he really does care about me."

Ana scoffed, "He better, or he'll be a eunuch very soon." I laughed at her dark expression and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come Ana, dear, we have to visit with someone."

Ana waved her hand dismissively, "Uh huh, whatever." I laughed freely. Oh Ana!

* * *

As I prepared to get in a long boat beside Ana, I felt myself be pulled out of her grasp. I gasped, and turned to face...Jack?

"Jack, what on earth are you doing?"

"Yes Jack, what on earth are you doing?" Ana glared daggers at Jack.

Jack put his hands up in mock surrender, "Ana dear, I must borrow our Alice for a moment. Aye?" He flashed a Jack-ish grin at her, gold caps showing. I rolled my eyes at his behavior and Ana glared, "As you wish, Jack." She turned back to the long boat.

"Captain!" Jack shouted at her.

She turned and sent a rude gesture toward him, which caused me to laugh. I loved Ana! Jack sighed and shook his head. "C'mon love." He had that scared look again.

"We're here about the spot aren't we?" I lowered my voice so that no one could eavesdrop on us. Jack nodded stiffly. I put my hand in his spotted one and led him to a boat. "It'll be alright Jack. I promise." I gave him a small, reassuring smile. He only nodded in return. I got into the boat behind Jack and it began to lower. The eerie silence began to make my skin crawl, so I studied the ocean.

It was such a beautiful cerulean blue. It was the kind of crystal clear blue that looks almost like glass in a mirror. I looked up to see that we were rowing toward a small river. I noted that the cerulean water became dark and stormy colored. But what startled me most was that despite the dark color, the river was as still and silent as a grave.

* * *

The boat that Jack and I were in was the very first boat. It's entire occupants included: One Captain Jack Sparrow, one Mr. Cotton, one Alice Turner, one Mr. Cotton's parrot (whom I have decided must have a name. I need to talk to Ana and figure out a name for the small multi-colored creature.), and a man that I did not know.

The sunlight shined through the thick masses of trees, eerily casting dark shadows everywhere. I swear that once or twice, I saw some people staring at us through the trees, but when I looked again they were gone. I began to get the creeps and I crept closer to Jack as I looked around the strange bayou. Suddenly, a thought dawned on me. A passage from a book that I had read years ago:

_"...And down through the eerie bayou of the Pantano River, she lives. Never cross her for she will never let you live after. Some say that she even..."_

The rest slipped my mind, and the book title I could not recall. Nor could I remember whom it was talking about. I had to ask to be sure though.

"Jack," I asked cautiously. He looked back at me silently and nodded. "Is this the Pantano River?" Jack froze a moment and nodded.

"How do you know."

"I read it in a book. Books can be helpful you know." I smirked.

"Do you remember the rest?"

I shook my head infuriated at myself, "No. It was years ago that I read...well...whatever it was."

Jack nodded again and looked around him nervously. This bayou was creeping everyone out. I could tell. He reached for my hand and grasped it, the rings on his hand digging into mine.

Suddenly, I heard my brother's voice from the boat directly behind us.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?"

Jack froze and looked behind him warily before turning back to me. I shook my head, "Does anyone else know about.._it_?"

He shook his head. I nodded and remained silent.

"-Well if you believe such things," Gibbs voice sounded. Jack snapped his head to face the other boat and gathered me closer to him, like Gibbs does to his teddy. "-There's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones."

"I thought no one else knew?" I mouthed silently to Jack.

"They don't," he mouthed back.

"A fearsome creature with giant tentacles," Gibbs continued, "that suction your face clean off." Jack stiffened. "And drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness...The Kraken." Everyone had Mr. Gibbs' attention now. I shivered at the mention of the kraken and tightened my grip on Jack's hand. At the same time, I realized that he had done the same.

"They say the stench of it's breath is-" Gibbs shivered, engrossed in his own tale, "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses. If you believe such things." My mouth went dry and I could feel that the blood had drained from my face.

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asks. I turn to Jack who immediately notices my flushed appearance. "A key?" I whisper. Jack shakes his head slightly.

"You _know _what key," he barely whispers.

I think a moment. What key? My thinking is interrupting by Mr. Gibbs and I turn shakily toward him. "Stow it Gibbs. Enough horror stories for now." Gibbs takes in my paled face and nods, quieting immediately. Jack squeezes my hand, "Thank you." I nod. I turn back to face Jack, whose paled face is impassive. I begin to think again. Key? What key? What key could possibly...Oh no. It can't be. Not _that _key. But it is. I know it is. It's the only key that could help. It's _the _key.

The row continues in silence and I realize that it's getting darker. It looks about twilight, yet I cannot tell if it is from the trees, the time, or if by some chance an eerie magic surrounds the place. Maybe a strange combination of all three. Fireflies flit and flutter around, causing a small bit of light to flicker around us. I feel like I am being watched. Or like someone, whoever _her _is, is waiting for me. I shiver and look up to see an old wooden lodging settled above the bayou in trees. There were candles all around it.

Jack stood slightly and pulled me up with him. He still looked slightly frightened. He held a rope in his left hand and my hand in his right. He hesitantly moved his hand from mine and wrapped it around my waist tightly. His hand was shaking.

When we hit the small, very old, very unsteady-looking dock, Jack jumped out and tied the boat to the dock. He gently took my hand and helped me out of the boat. Once I was standing, he wrapped his arm back around my waist, protectively and turned to face the crew that had accompanied us here. He smoothed out his face and put on a confident persona.

"No worries mates," he smiled, "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before." Jack was trying to sound like the confidant captain he was in front of his crew. But I could read the fear clearly in his eyes. "I've got your back," I whispered.

He looked at me slightly, "It's me front I'm worried about." He turned to go inside as Gibbs told Will to 'Mind the boat.' Followed my a chorus of 'Mind the boats'. Was everyone going to come? Who would actually mind the boat. I shoved the thought aside.

"Don't worry Jack. I'll go first." Jack looked at me worriedly and opened his mouth to protest, but I put my hand on the doorknob and creaked open the door as Jack peered in through the window.

"Jack Sparrow," a feminine voice sounded from inside. Jack straightened up and smiled, walking through the door completely, past me. I followed closely behind.

"Tia Dalma," Jack called back. He continued to walk forward but stopped as he almost his a jar of...was that...eyeballs? Disgusting. He ducked underneath them and continued to walk forward. I ducked as well and noticed that this little...house had a lot of unusual things in it. Jars full of strange things. Candles, lots of little knick knacks and such. Hmm. Quite interesting if you ask me.

"I always knew the wind would blow you back to me one day," Tia walked forward to meet us, a pleasant grin on her face. She was a beautiful woman, with cocoa skin and dark brown dread locks. Her gown, though old and tattered, seemed to fit her perfectly. She had several necklaces about her neck. She seemed familiar, as if I had met her before. But Obviously I hadn't. She was now standing directly in front of Jack and I was right behind him. Tia reached up her hand, but froze. Her happy look changed, and her eyes had a melancholy look to them. And something else that I could not put a finger on. Se looked like she had seen centuries. Seen too much. Something like that. I then realized that her melancholy look was fixed upon me. Jack turned to look at me.

"You," she spoke, as she walked around Jack toward me, her hand outstretched. She then grasped my right hand in both of hers. "You have a touch of destiny about you, Alice Turner." Her eyes were soft, yet firm. As if she were an old friend of mine, but was telling me something very important. Destiny?

"You know my name, Tia? Yet I do not believe that I know you," I spoke softly. She smiled sadly, "Dear, I know quite a lot about you. More than anyone else in the room. And you, you know me better than you think you do."

"I-" I was cut off as Will inserted himself into the conversation, "You know her?" I rolled my eyes. Obviously. She just said so herself. Sometimes I really wondered if my brother was stupid. No, he was just brain-dead because of Eliza-bitch.

Tia turned on my brother harshly, "You have caused many misfortunes to your sister. Some that you don't even know of. You have even caused some to me. I'd watch myself if I were you." My brother quieted after that.

"Alice, we mus-" Tia Dalma was cut of as Jack shoved his way in-between the two of us.

"There will be no knowing here," he stated firmly as he wrapped an arm around my waist and tucked me behind him. Rude! I was having a conversation! I snorted, but complied. At least for now. "We've come for help and we're not leaving without it," Jack told Tia. I shook my head. Obviously that was not how you asked for help. What if she was easily angered? "I thought I knew you," Jack told Tia, suspiciously looking from her to me.

"Not as well as I know Alice," she waved her hand to dismiss the subject, "Come." She led us over to a table. Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before she looked up at Jack, "What service may I do you, Captain? You know I demand payment."

Jack smirked, "I brought payment!" He whistled at Will. What? Will brought forth: Jack the monkey? Jack took the cage and pulled out a pistol. "Ja-" I started but was cut off by a gunshot. "An undead monkey!" Jack proclaimed to Tia Dalma. How did he catch that thing. How was it even alive? Or Undead? I don't understand. I looked at Jack curiously. Jack shook his head and grinned, "Didn't do it, love."

"I did!" I looked up at Ana. She smiled, "Made him do it. Served the man right." I smiled and shook my head. Anamaria. You could never be bored with her around.

Jack laughed, "Terrific job Ana!" He set the monkey on the table before Tia Dalma, "Top that!" You know, no one probably could top that.

Tia considered the monkey for a moment before opening the cage. "No!" Will shouted. I laughed at him, "Tia, you could make him catch it again!" Will sent me a very hateful glare. I looked after the monkey, which ran directly to the back near a pair of very familiar boots. I looked over on a nearby table to see a _very _familiar hat. I narrowed my eyes, "Is that-"

Tia put her finger to her lips, silencing me, "The payment is fair." I closed my mouth and stood silent.

"We're looking for this," Will pulled out the cloth from earlier with..._the _key on it. I swallowed nervously and looked back at Jack. Jack shook his head and glanced back to Tia Dalma before turning back toward the table. Tia froze, "and what it goes to," Will finished. Thank you Captain Obvious. No, scratch that. Not Captain. He didn't deserve that title. Jack picked up the hat and studied it. He narrowed his eyes as well and looked to me. "Barbossa," I mouthed. His eyes widened but before he could reply, Tia addressed him.

"The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this?"

Jack narrowed his eyes, "Maybe. Why?"

Tia sat down and smirked at Jack, "Aye, Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants! Or do you know, but are loathe to claim it as your own?" She chuckled before sending a not very subtle glance toward me. I shrank back a little. Jack didn't feel that way. He could never. He was married to the _Pearl _and would never love me. We were only friends. Jack sent an irritated look toward Tia before blowing a bottle out of his face.

Tia smiled to herself and continued, "Your key go to a chest. And it is what lay inside the chest that you seek, don't it?"

"What is inside?" Gibbs asked. I rolled my eyes. I already knew what laying inside the chest.

"Gold?" Pintel asked excitedly. "Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" I scoffed and looked away.

"Nothing bad, I hope," Ragetti added. I frowned.

Tia Dalma leaned forward, "You know of Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea. A great sailor, until he run afoul that which vexes all men."

I saw Jack slip something into his pocket. I slapped his arm, "Jack!"

He looked at me innocently, "What?"

"She is helping you with your problem, don't steal from her!"

He frowned and stopped, but did not replace what he had taken.

"What vexes all men?" Will queried.

Tia put a hand over his, "What indeed," she smiled cryptically.

"The sea?" Gibbs asked. Idiot.

"Sums," Pintel added, looking dismayed. Bigger idiot.

"The dichotomy of good and evil?" Wow. Bravo Ragetti! But still, no. Incorrect.

"A woman" Jack looked at the three men irritated. He sent a glance my way. I looked down.

"A woman. He fell in love," Tia smiled.

"No no no no, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with!" Gibbs protested.

"Same story, different versions and all are true!" Tia stated annoyed. Sometimes, Gibbs was an idiot. "See it was a woman, as changing, and harsh, and untamable as the sea. Him never stop loving her, but the pain it cause him was too much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die." Jack was not paying attention anymore and neither was I, well not completely. Jack was rummaging through Tia's things. I was watching him.

"Him heart," Tia replied to something Will had said. Jack froze and turned back to Tia.

"Literally or figuratively?" Ragetti asked.

"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest!" Pintel reprimanded Ragetti. "Could he?" he turned back to Tia.

"It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings. And so, he carved out him heart and lock it away in a chest. And hide the chest from the world. They key he keep with him at all times."

I coughed, "Masochist." Tia looked at me a moment, but said nothing.

Will stood and pushed me away from Jack. "Hey!" I shouted, annoyed at my stupid brother.

"You knew this!" Will accused.

Jack glanced at Will before pushing him back slightly and grabbing my hand, bringing me back toward him. Okay, I was sick of being man-handled!

"I did not!" Jack protested. "I didn't know where the key was. But now we do! So all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman, _grab the key, and you go back to Port Royal and save your bonny lass eh?" Jack snapped and turned trying to drag me out the door with him.

"Let me see your hand," Tia Dalma commanded. Jack frowned and turned to face Tia, "You heard her love, let her see your...hand" he finished, withering at Tia's glare.

He started to give her his right hand, but decided against it. I gently took it into my own as he held out his left palm to Tia Dalma. He glanced at me worriedly before focusing back on Tia. She removed the striped cloth from his hand revealing the black spot. Everyone gasped and did some stupid little ritual thing. I sent them a harsh glare and they stopped.

"My eyesight's as good as ever just so you know," Jack told them all. Tia turned and went past a curtain to rummage for a while. Jack turned to me and gave me a look. I shook my head and felt his grip tighten. Jack reached over and picked up a ring. The ring was settled on top of a locket. The figure was very familiar, yet I couldn't place it.

Tia Dalma's voice interrupted me and I looked back up at her. "Davy Jones cannot make port, cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe Jack Sparrow, so you will carry land with you." She handed him a jar which he took gingerly.

He looked at it for a moment before proclaiming, "Dirt. This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes," Tia answered.

"Is the...jar of dirt going to help?" I shot him a glare which he ignored.

"If you don't want it, give it back."

"No!" Jack cried childishly, holding the jar of dirt to his chest.

"Then it helps." Tia smiled.

Will stepped toward Tia Dalma, "It seems, we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_."

Tia whispered to some shells and scattered them on the table. "You will find the ship here." Will nodded and everyone began to follow him back to the boats.

As I turned to leave Tia called to me, "Alice, dear." I turned to see that Jack, Tia, and I were the only people left. I walked forward to her.

"Yes Tia Dalma?" Jack looked warily at us, but stayed.

Tia stood and walked over to me. She took both of my hands and turned them, palms up. She then went back to behind the curtain for something. When she returned, she placed something in my hands and closed them, her palms covering my own. "Alice Elianore Turner, I must warn you, you have a dangerous path ahead of you. A woman will change your fate for the worse. You must remember who you are in all decisions that you make."

I nodded, entranced by her words.

She continued, "Alice," she looked at me sternly, yet..lovingly, like a mother would to her child, "Listen, you face a path of pain and death. Be careful my dear."

I paled, but nodded. Jack snaked an arm around my waist. We turned to go.

"Wait." I turned to look back at Tia Dalma. She smiled sadly at me, "Aria loves you."

* * *

**And I decided to stop there. How have you all been? What do you think? I'd love to hear input that any of you have. **

**Anyone curious as to what Tia Dalma gave to Alice? Well...it's the RING OF POWER! Just kidding. What to find out! **

_**IMPORTANT:**_

**I know that I have been pretty bad on updating this summer, but I promise that I'll try to get better! I will try to update every Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. Thank you to all my loyal reviewers and favorites, and followers. You guys are awesome and I wouldn't have the inspiration to write without you. Thank you all so much. :)**

**~Eponine~**

**:) **


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